THE mother of a Hawick soldier who died of heatstroke in Iraq has received an apology from the Ministry of Defence.

Thirty-two-year-old Territorial Army soldier Pte Jason Smith died on August 13, 2003 when he collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest.

He had previously complained of feeling unwell to medical staff, due to working in temperatures that sometimes exceeded 50C.

An inquest held last year found there was a “missed opportunity” for army chiefs to intervene before the tragedy.

And this week the MoD apologised “unreservedly” to Pte Smith’s mother Catherine, acknowledging the ruling that the risk of death could have been reduced. Assistant coroner for Oxfordshire Alison Thompson concluded: “When climatic conditions deteriorated in August and the number of heat casualties increased, there was a missed opportunity to intervene.” Those in charge of the soldiers could have “become more rigorous in monitoring individuals” when temperatures soared, making sure they were treated for their symptoms and had enough rest.

The original inquest was held in 2006 but a second was ordered by the Supreme Court after Pte Smith’s mother successfully applied for a new public hearing.

Mrs Smith has now reached a settlement with the MoD.