THE sister of a British soldier killed in Iraq has challenged Tony Blair to meet the grieving families of service personnel who died in the unlawful conflict.

Sarah O’Connor, whose brother Sergeant Bob O’Connor was killed when his Hercules plane was shot down near Baghdad in 2005, accused the former prime minister of failing to “look [the families] in the eye” after the publication of the historic report into Britain’s involvement in the war.

Ms O’Connor, who has described Mr Blair as “the world’s worst terrorist,” hit out at his appearance before television cameras on Wednesday afternoon, in which he delivered a lengthy statement and took questions from journalists.

She said: “There is one final thing I would like to say to Mr Blair. He said yesterday that while he takes responsibility he can look the families in the eye. Well, looking down the lens of a camera is not looking us in the eye.

“So, Mr Blair, challenge accepted. I’ve thrown down the gauntlet. Come and look me in the eye.”

She added: “He’s had enough requests from us, he’s always refused.”

Ms O’Connor pointed out that the former PM had not acknowledged bereaved relatives during his evidence at the inquiry, when he was spirited in and out via the back door to avoid the hundreds of protesters gathered outside the QEII centre in Whitehall.

He had also failed to attend the publication of the report, she added, preferring to deliver “a two-hour, rambling indictment of the inquiry findings.”