THE MOTHER of a Hampshire Army medic killed in a roadside explosion in Iraq has welcomed a Supreme Court ruling that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) owes a duty of care to its soldiers.

Sally Veck, whose daughter Private Eleanor Dlugosz died while on duty in 2007, paid tribute to the families who have fought so hard against the Government for a decade to finally get their landmark victory.

But, while the ruling also allows families to pursue damages against the government under the Human Rights Acts, Ms Veck believes the MOD should use its money to buy safer equipment, not fighting in the courts.

She told the Daily Echo: “It is definitely something that I welcome because nothing else will bring our children back, they are gone, but if we can make a difference for the soldiers who are still out there serving and save them then this is a brilliant outcome.

“I have total admiration for the families involved in this fight, and I would urge them to stay strong and be proud of what they have achieved in the names of their lost loved ones.

“The pain never goes away, it never gets easier, but you find the strength to get round it and one way is to help make it safer for those still out there.”

The case was brought by relatives of three men killed by roadside bombs while in Snatch Land Rovers in Iraq and the court rejected the Government’s argument that the battlefield was beyond the reach of negligence.

They backed a previous ruling by the Court of Appeal that the relatives of two soldiers killed in Iraq could bring claims for damages against the MOD for negligence in failing to provide sufficient protection while on active service.

During yesterday’s hearing, the Supreme Court justices also said the soldiers killed in Iraq in Snatch Land Rovers were within the UK’s jurisdiction at the time of their deaths, and so were subject to human rights legislation.

Pte Dlugosz, 19, from Swanmore, was travelling in a Warrior tank when she died, so the ruling does not yet directly affect her family, but even if it did, her mother is not sure if she would fight a case against the MOD.

She added: “It is right that soldier have the same protection as anyone else who goes to work and the MoD have a duty to supply them with the equipment they need.

“However, rather than see the MOD spend money fighting cases through the courts, I’d rather see them spend that money on buying equipment and make sure the soldiers have the right equipment to do their job.

“We’ve had our insurance money and compensation, and no amount of money is going to bring them back. At some point you just have to draw a line under it.

“It is about helping those fighting in the future, not the money.”