The mid-air collision of two Royal Navy helicopters that left seven servicemen from RNAS Culdrose dead could have been avoided, according to a report leaked last week.

The report by a Naval board of inquiry claimed that the helicopter crash in the Gulf last March might not have happened if one of the pilots had been issued with night vision goggles.

Families of the servicemen who died were told of the findings back in June, but the facts only became public in an article in the Independent on Sunday last week.

Defence minister Geoff Hoon is to face fresh questions on the issue from Paul Tyler, Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, who was reported to have been "amazed" that the pilots were not issued with the equipment.

Mr Tyler has tabled written questions for the attention of Mr Hoon over the coming weeks.

Naval spokesman Lieutenant Commander Richard Whalley said: "Not all naval aircraft are modified to use night vision goggles, only those that require it for their combat role, such as low-level flying.

"Helicopters from 849 Naval Air Squadron did not operate in that way and therefore were not fitted with NVGs.

"The board of inquiry has recommended that we extend our night vision capability to other aircraft and we are taking that work forward."

There is an ongoing technical report into the crash by the Military Air Accident Investigation Unit, but Mr Whalley warned that the results of this might not be available for some time.

The board of inquiry's report comes amid a national debate over the levels of equipment issued to British troops, following the death of Cornish soldier Sergeant Steven Roberts, who had to give up his protective body armour because there was not enough to go round.