Up to 15 British soldiers killed in plane crash

UP TO 15 British troops are feared dead after an RAF Hercules aircraft crashed in central Iraq, military sources said last night.

If the death toll is confirmed as nine or more, the tragedy will be Britain's biggest single loss of life in the Iraq conflict. Eight British troops died on March 21, 2003, when the US helicopter they were in crashed.

A military source said the figure was "around 10", with it "highly unlikely" to be more than 15.