Soldier's inquest told of lack of shared details

Coroner Rob Turnbull told the inquest at Richmond Town Hall, North Yorkshire, that information concerning the compound in which Sergeant Phillip Scott, 30, of 3rd Battalion The Rifles, was killed by an explosion may have been of assistance before his platoon entered it.

Sgt Scott was killed by an improvised explosive device near Sangin in Helmand Province on November 5 last year. He left a widow, Ellen, who was present at the inquest, and young children, Ellie and Michael. His parents, Mike Scott and Diane Carr, were also at Richmond Town Hall yesterday.

On the day of his death, Sgt Scott was acting as section commander of section two of his platoon, which had split into three parts, with orders to find and identify suitable compounds for future use.

It was in one of these compounds, which had been swept by four metal detectors, the explosion happened.

It later emerged members of 2 Rifles had been in the area on a previous occasion and had experienced a similar incident but details had not been circulated.

Mr Turnbull's comments came in response to evidence heard from Sergeant Lee Slater, section commander, recce platoon, 3rd Battalion The Rifles, who was asked by Sgt Scott's father if he had been concerned by blood stains inside the compound and a tail fin from a mortar.

Sgt Slater told the hearing: "I did not see the blood on the walls. There was a field dressing wrapper – it's like a crisp wrapper – but there was no evidence that someone had been hurt in there."

Captain Toby Hood, recce 2 commander, 3rd Battalion The Rifles, told the inquest they were not unduly worried by their findings as there were often frequent discoveries of the "detritus of war". Recording a verdict of unlawful killing, the coroner said he was satisfied the operation was "well run, well led and well equipped" and all the troops involved could not have acted more properly.

Mr Turnbull agreed to a request from Mr Scott to put a letter together regarding the necessity of information sharing.

The findings came as three more Nato service members died from fighting in Afghanistan. Two British soldiers from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment were shot dead in separate incidents in southern Helmand province.

The third was a Polish soldier who died in a missile attack.