Llywelyn Evans was killed within hours of the start of the war

Lance Bombardier Llywelyn Evans, 24, from Llandudno, died with 11 other servicemen when their helicopter crashed in the Kuwaiti desert.

His father Gordon Evans says the prime minister should not attend the remembrance service on Friday, which will also have the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon among the congregation.

However, Downing Street has insisted that Mr Blair will attend the service, saying the nation would expect him to lead the country in its prayers for those who died and served in the conflict.

Mr Evans is angry about the UK Government's justification for entering the war, particularly since no weapons of mass destruction have ever been found by inspectors in Iraq.

Mr Blair should resign and disappear quietly - he definitely should not turn up at the memorial service Gordon Evans

Now he has joined other parents of soldiers who died in the conflict in saying Mr Blair has no place at the remembrance service.

"I think he got it all wrong from the very beginning," Mr Evans told BBC Radio Wales on Monday.

"He's just a puppet of Mr Bush and the rest of Europe did not want to get involved.

"I think he's got a cheek to turn up on Friday and people are not going to like it.

"He's the one who sent out troops in the first place. We wouldn't be having a memorial service if it wasn't for him."

Mr Evans said he had initially supported the decision to go to war and his son's part in it.

Two separate funerals have been held for the lance bombardier

"We all thought there was a reason for going to war, but it's now obviously clear there wasn't a reason in the first place."

Having changed his views, Mr Evans went on: "Mr Blair should resign and disappear quietly - he definitely should not turn up at the memorial service."

Lance Bombardier Evans - known as Welly to his friends - was one of six young men, including his younger brother Lee, from the same street in Llandudno, serving in the conflict.

He died just hours into the war, after the American CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter he was travelling in crashed in the Kuwaiti desert.

His family have already undergone the anguish of holding two separate funeral services - in April and then in July - after investigators discovered more of his remains inside the recovered helicopter.