Iraq War families launch crowdfunding appeal to 'bring Tony Blair to justice'

Relatives of the British soldiers killed in the Iraq War have launched an online fundraising appeal to take legal action against Tony Blair and other government officials.

The Iraq Families War Group are trying to raise £50,000 to "bring to justice those responsible for the war and the deaths of our loved ones".

It comes weeks after the Chilcot report tore into Blair, other leading politicians and senior officials over their actions before, during and after the conflict, in which 179 British service personnel died.

The group is led by Roger Bacon and Reg Keys, whose sons were both killed in Iraq.

On the fundraising page on the crowdjustice.co.uk website, they said there had been speculation that Blair and others "can and should" be taken to court and "we, the families, wish to bring such legal proceedings against any state officials who might have acted unlawfully or in excess of their powers".

They added: "Before Matthew, Tom and so many of their fellow servicemen and women died, we knew the risks all British military personnel assume when serving Queen and country.

"However, the long-awaited Iraq Inquiry (Chilcot) Report has confirmed that there were serious failings in the lead-up to, planning and conduct of the war, which led to so many unnecessary deaths.

"Our armed forces must never again be so callously sacrificed by political ambition and the irresponsibility and failings of government and Whitehall."

Sir John Chilcot's report strongly criticised the way former prime minister Blair took the country to war in 2003 on the basis of "flawed" intelligence with inadequate preparation at a time when Saddam Hussein did not pose an "imminent threat".

He said the decision about the legal basis for the war was reached was "far from satisfactory", but his report did not rule on the legality of the military action.

Blair has defended the decision to oust Saddam and insisted that his efforts to form a close relationship with the US had persuaded President George W Bush to pursue a second UN Security Council resolution, which ultimately was not obtained.