Five murdered troops are named

The five British troops shot dead yesterday by a "rogue" Afghan police officer have been named tonight by the Ministry of Defence.

They were:

Sergeant Matthew Telford of the 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards

Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant of the 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards

Guardsman James Major of the 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards

Acting Corporal Steven Boote of the Royal Military Police

Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith of the Royal Military Police.

It has been revealed that the soldiers were drinking tea inside a military compound in Helmand province when the gunman opened fire with an AK47 during a meeting yesterday with local officials.

The soldiers are thought to have laid down their weapons and removed their helmets and body armour as proof of their trust in their hosts as they entered the building in the village of Shin Kalay.

Four were killed immediately and the fifth died of his wounds, the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force said.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said this afternoon that the Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack, and may have infiltrated the Afghan police.

The gunman fled the scene on a motorbike, sparking a manhunt in the Nad-e'Ali district.