The men were special force reservists. Corporal Bryant was the first British female soldier to die in the conflict when the four were killed.

The coroner was told their commander had requested a replacement for their Snatch Land Rover but was refused due to equipment shortages.

The coroner said his report, copied to the Lord Chancellor, will focus on drill training, the lack of metal detectors and the use of the Land Rovers.

He said: “At the time leading up to these deaths, that training . . . for this unit was inadequate.

“Not only was there a shortage of that equipment for training, but also for use in earnest in the field.”

He said his report would seek a review on the use of Snatch Land Rovers by the troops’ specialist unit – the Police Mentoring Unit.

He said: “The evidence has clearly shown that Snatch Land Rovers were not the preferred vehicle of choice for the evolving task upon which the PMT were engaged. There was significant disquiet about these vehicles being the only resource available to this unit.

“It seems Snatch Land Rovers may not be currently used, but the evidence we have heard at this inquest indicates to me that this needs to be confirmed by the Minister.”

The victims were with a fifth soldier, the sole survivor, known as Soldier E.

He told the inquest last week the vehicle was “not adequate for the job”.

The troops’ patrol provided vehicle checkpoints to help the police disrupt enemy communication and recapture prisoners who had escaped.