Gordon Gentle was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq

Gordon Gentle, 19, who served with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, was killed by a roadside bomb in Basra in 2004.

The report said Fusilier Gentle was wearing appropriate body armour which was penetrated by bomb fragments.

The MOD said that following the inquiry recommendations, armour now gave more protection to the neck and armpits.

Since her son's death, Rose Gentle, from Pollok, Glasgow, has led a campaign to have British troops withdrawn from Iraq.

There is no comfort or closure for me in this report. Gordon was killed by neglect and I'm not prepared to let this go Rose Gentle

Commenting on the board's findings, Defence Secretary John Reid said: "Whilst every possible precaution is taken to protect service personnel, the unfortunate reality is that despite the best training, tactics and equipment, military operations are dangerous.

"That is why I stand in awe of the bravery displayed by those volunteers who take part in them.

"Sadly, nothing can change what happened to Fusilier Gentle but I hope today's report will help his family and friends better understand events of that day."

On the issue of body armour, the report said: "It was accepted that full protection from a close-quarter explosion cannot realistically be provided by lightweight body armour.

Jamming equipment

"However, the BoI-recommended body armour should be enhanced with extensions to protect the neck and armpit area.

"Enhanced personnel protection equipment with greater neck and shoulder protection and a larger body armour plate has already been delivered."

An electronic jamming device which would have given the vehicle in which Fusilier Gentle was travelling extra protection had been ordered but not delivered and fitted.

The report said: "The on-site investigation concluded that it was probably that the IED device was of a type that would have been inhibited by [words blanked out], this cannot be categorically confirmed because the detonation of the device destroyed the evidence that would have indicated precisely how the device was initiated."

Rose Gentle and her daughter have taken their case to Tony Blair

Mrs Gentle responded: "This device was sitting in an army storeroom and it was because of laziness and carelessness that it wasn't fitted to their vehicles.

"There is no comfort or closure for me in this report. Gordon was killed by neglect and I'm not prepared to let this go. I don't want any more MoD cover-ups."

The report makes 12 recommendations, all of which have been accepted by the army chain of command.

The MoD said that in the "vast majority" of cases, improvements had already been completed.

FULL INQUIRY FINDINGS Read the report [10MB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here

Brigadier Stephen Andrews, director of personal services (army), said: "The army feels the death of Fusilier Gordon Gentle keenly and today all our sympathies are with his family, friends and comrades.

"Today's Board of Inquiry report is a comprehensive review put in place to scrutinise what happened and make recommendations to help us prevent a recurrence of the circumstances that led to Fusilier Gentle being killed.

"We therefore accept without reservation its recommendations and where we have not already implemented changes in line with these recommendations, we are working quickly to respond."

The main findings were:

• Training provided by 1 Royal Highland Fusiliers before and during the deployment was appropriate and sufficient

• Fusilier Gentle was wearing appropriate body armour but this could not protect him from a close quarter explosion. Action taken: Enhanced armour with extended protection in the neck and armpit area already delivered and a second upgrade is being delivered

• Electronic counter measure equipment was fitted to the Land Rover Fusilier Gentle was travelling in and was working correctly but was ineffective against the device. Extra equipment had been ordered a fortnight before but had not been delivered

• The use of SNATCH Land Rovers was appropriate to the threat and task. Action taken: MoD looking to upgrade current SNATCH fleet with enhancements to the Protected Patrol Vehicle

• 1 Royal Highland Fusiliers implemented sensible measures to mitigate the predictability in timings and routes for the task in hand

• The convoy task on the day was conducted correctly and the use of top cover sentries was appropriate.