The only soldier convicted over the death of Iraqi hotel worker Baha Mousa yesterday described widespread abuse of prisoners by British troops — including an officer.

Former corporal Donald Payne told the public inquiry into Mr Mousa's death that he witnessed Lieutenant Craig Rodgers punching or kicking a group of detainees, and even pretending to set one of them alight.

Payne also claimed Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Mendonca, commanding officer of the former 1st

Battalion Queen's Lancashire Regiment (1QLR) in Iraq in 2003, was “gung ho” and “trigger happy”.

Mr Mousa (26) died in Basra, southern Iraq, on September 15, 2003, while in the custody of the 1QLR, having suffered 93 separate injuries.

Payne became the first member of the UK armed forces to be convicted of a war crime when he pleaded guilty at a court martial to inhumanely treating civilians.

Payne told the inquiry he had until now covered up the extent of the abuse of Mr Mousa and other Iraqis arrested with him out of “misguided loyalty”.