The Ministry of Defence has been accused of withholding evidence of „truly shocking“ treatment of civilians in an incident involving the most serious allegations made so far against British forces in Iraq.

Interrogations by British military personnel involved „young men of 18, 19, and 20, some seriously injured with gunshot wounds, being stripped naked, forced to stand, not given appropriate medical treatment, and threatened with violence whilst still under the shock of capture in the middle of the night“, said Patrick Connor QC, counsel for the Iraqi detainees.