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20 May 2011
Last updated at 09:17 ET
The UK failed in its duty to five British soldiers who were shot and killed by a rogue Afghan policeman in 2009, coroner David Ridley has said.
Concerns had been raised before the attack over the behaviour of the gunman, who later fled a checkpoint in Helmand province's Nad Ali region.
The Wiltshire and Swindon coroner said security forces should have been able to remove suspect Afghan officers.
Recording unlawful killing verdicts, he said the UK had failed to "avoid risk".
He said the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) needed to be given powers to remove Afghan officers, like Gulbuddin, who raised concerns.
Killer escaped The coroner said Warrant Officer Darren Chant - one of those who died - did not have such an authority.
Several of the victims' families expressed amazement their loved ones had been put in harm's way.
The gunman, named only as Gulbuddin, escaped afterwards and has never been brought to justice.
The inquest heard the attack could have been linked to a "blood feud" between an Afghan National Police (ANP) commander and the Taliban.
Three of the soldiers killed were Grenadier Guards - Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, 40, Sergeant Matthew Telford, 37 and Guardsman Jimmy Major, 18.
The other two killed were Royal Military Police - Corporal Steven Boote, 22 and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith, 24.
'Rotten to the core' Six British soldiers and two Afghan policemen were wounded in the attack.
Cpl Boote's mother, Margaret Boote, and his girlfriend, Emma Murray, made a statement afterwards in which they said: "We are convinced that the investigation has been thorough and we have had all of our questions answered.
"The only person to blame for Steven's death is the rogue Afghan National Policeman who committed this cowardly act and we still won't know what motivated him but we would now like to be left alone to grieve in peace."
The coroner said it was known there were problems with the ANP Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Walker had described them as "rotten to the core".
He said WO Chant had raised concerns about Gulbuddin's behaviour, discipline and drug taking before the attack.
Mr Ridley said WO Chant discussed these issues with the ANP commander before the attack and was told they would be addressed.
The coroner says WO Chant was highly regarded and if he had not been killed he would have been considered for the top sergeant major position in the British Army at Sandhurst.
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Concerns had been raised before the attack over the behaviour of the gunman, who later fled a checkpoint in Helmand province's Nad Ali region.
The Wiltshire and Swindon coroner said security forces should have been able to remove suspect Afghan officers.
Recording unlawful killing verdicts, he said the UK had failed to "avoid risk".
He said the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) needed to be given powers to remove Afghan officers, like Gulbuddin, who raised concerns.
Killer escaped The coroner said Warrant Officer Darren Chant - one of those who died - did not have such an authority.
Several of the victims' families expressed amazement their loved ones had been put in harm's way.
The gunman, named only as Gulbuddin, escaped afterwards and has never been brought to justice.
The inquest heard the attack could have been linked to a "blood feud" between an Afghan National Police (ANP) commander and the Taliban.
Three of the soldiers killed were Grenadier Guards - Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, 40, Sergeant Matthew Telford, 37 and Guardsman Jimmy Major, 18.
The other two killed were Royal Military Police - Corporal Steven Boote, 22 and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith, 24.
'Rotten to the core' Six British soldiers and two Afghan policemen were wounded in the attack.
Cpl Boote's mother, Margaret Boote, and his girlfriend, Emma Murray, made a statement afterwards in which they said: "We are convinced that the investigation has been thorough and we have had all of our questions answered.
"The only person to blame for Steven's death is the rogue Afghan National Policeman who committed this cowardly act and we still won't know what motivated him but we would now like to be left alone to grieve in peace."
The coroner said it was known there were problems with the ANP Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Walker had described them as "rotten to the core".
He said WO Chant had raised concerns about Gulbuddin's behaviour, discipline and drug taking before the attack.
Mr Ridley said WO Chant discussed these issues with the ANP commander before the attack and was told they would be addressed.
The coroner says WO Chant was highly regarded and if he had not been killed he would have been considered for the top sergeant major position in the British Army at Sandhurst.
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