The Braintree father-in-law of a soldier who died in Iraq today declined to publicly step in to the row over the BBC showing his body and that of another dead soldier on television.
Neil Thorpe, the father-in-law of Staff Sergeant Simon Cullingworth, of 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Royal Engineers, who was feared executed in Iraq, did not want to comment on the Correspondent documentary to be shown on BBC2 next Sunday
Mr Thorpe, of South Street, Braintree, used to watch Braintree Town Football Club matches with his son-in-law, who was based at Wimbish, Essex, and is organising a memorial game with the club.
The BBC today came under renewed pressure not to show the bodies of Staff Sgt Cullingworth, 36, and Sapper Luke Allsopp, 24, in the forthcoming documentary.
The feelings of the families should be respected, Downing Street said.
The bodies of the soldiers were found in a shallow grave outside Basra and it is feared they were executed after they went missing on March 23.
The plea from Tony Blair's office was backed up by Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith.
But BBC bosses were set to go ahead and show the bodies in the programme.
Earlier this week Staff Sgt Cullingworth's wife Alison, 33, wrote a letter to Tony Blair pleading with him to stop the BBC screening the footage.
Published Wednesday, May 28, 2003
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