A woman is seeking damages of up to £300,000 after her husband was killed in a car crash while working for the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Paul Jennings, 50, was an engineering contractor for the organisation in Germany in June 2006, the Derby Evening Telegraph attests.

He had been on his way to a barracks in Monchengladbach with two other men when the vehicle they were in was hit by a lorry at a junction where the traffic lights were out of order.

Mr Jennings was killed and his colleagues were seriously hurt. However, the MoD did not take fingerprints from the car, did not test seatbelts and failed to take blood samples in the subsequent investigation.

"I don’t believe they took my husband’s death very seriously and I don’t think they carried out the investigation very thoroughly," said Beverley Jennings.

She took legal action against the MoD, which states that it has admitted liability and is now working towards a settlement with Ms Jennings.

The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, established in 2005, provides compensation for all injuries, ill health and deaths that occur mostly during service.