Lieutenant Tony King was killed on the third day of the conflict

Sarah King, 38, from Congresbury, Somerset, has had to wait three-and-a-half years for an inquest into her husband's death.

Lt Tony King died alongside five other servicemen after a mid-air collision between two Sea King helicopters on the third day of the conflict.

The Ministry of Defence said it was dealing with a backlog of 71 inquests.

The father-of-two was serving as an observer for the 849 Naval Air Squadron when he was killed in March 2003.

His body was flown back to Britain in April but an inquest was opened and adjourned.

Under current law the inquests of those repatriated to Brize Norton have to be handled Oxfordshire-based Coroner's Court.

But as the Iraq death toll - which currently stands at 119 - has continued to rise, the court has struggled to cope.

It's our basic legal right to know what happened and to ask questions. Sarah King

"It's very difficult to move on without an inquest. I just want them to get on with it so we can get on with our lives," said Ms King.

"It's our basic legal right to know what happened and to ask questions. It makes a hard situation even worse.

"He did give his life to his country and the government haven't repaid him in the proper manner by showing him any respect," she added.

The coroner's office in Oxfordshire has a backlog of 56 cases, the Wiltshire office has 12 incomplete cases while Richmond had one outstanding, said an MoD spokesperson.

Extra funding has been allocated and more staff, including a retired High Court judge, have been appointed to clear the backlog.

The Department of Constitutional Affairs, which oversees responsibility for inquests, is also considering changing the law so certain inquests do not have to be heard in Oxfordshire.