Lianne Seymour says she still feels "let down"

Lianne Seymour, 27, received the apology at a private meeting with Mr Hoon at the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday.

The mother-of-one said she had been horrified to be told she would have to reimburse nine days' pay of her husband Ian's salary after he was killed in a helicopter crash in the first week of the war with Iraq.

After the meeting with Mr Hoon, Mrs Seymour said: "It's completely disappointing. I think his words were that I'm not going to live in luxury but at least I'm not going to be poor, which I just think is terrible."

Full honours

She said her husband would have been "devastated" at the situation and added: "He'd feel the same as me, absolutely let down beyond words."

Mrs Seymour had earlier received an apology from the MoD itself which said she had been wrongly informed.

Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted Mrs Seymour would not have to pay back the money or leave her home after he faced questions in the Commons.

Mr Seymour, 28, who worked as an operator mechanic (communications) second class with Plymouth-based 3 Commando Brigade, was one of eight British servicemen killed when a US helicopter they were on board crashed.