Sergeant Steven Roberts was shot in the chest during a riot in Basra

Samantha Roberts, from Shipley, West Yorkshire, was reacting to a report released by the Ministry of Defence on Thursday.

It showed that Sergeant Steven Roberts, originally from Wadebridge, Cornwall, was ordered to give his protective body armour to another soldier.

A reconstruction of the 33-year-old tank commander's death revealed that the armour would have saved his life.

Mrs Roberts told the BBC that Geoff Hoon had previously told her that 98% of equipment had reached Iraq in time for the war.

I want to know exactly what they're going to do and admit that there are major issues with equipment shortages. Samantha Roberts Click here to listen

She said: "That was clearly not the case, or he misled us.

"He pretty much said that it was an isolated incident and there were not major issues with the supply to the troops.

"I would firstly ask for some kind of public apology for Steve's death and then give me indications that this will not happen again.

"I want to know exactly what they're going to do and admit that there are major issues with equipment shortages."

Mrs Roberts said families of other soldiers killed in Iraq were "incredibly angry" at the latest report.

Friendly fire question

The MoD document said if Sergeant Roberts - the first British casualty in the war - had been wearing armour with protective ceramic plates fitted, the bullet that struck him in the chest "would have been defeated".

There has also been doubt placed on whether Sergeant Roberts was actually killed by Iraqi dissidents or friendly fire.

A senior officer from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment wrote to his family saying another soldier had fired to help Sergeant Roberts.

The letter said the Iraqi was killed but "tragically Steve was also hit".

Sergeant Roberts was serving with the tank regiment near Al Zubayr, south west of Basra, when he was shot dead on 24 March.