Gulf widow Samantha Roberts has held face-to-face talks with Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon in her quest to find out why her husband died.

She met the Minister at the War Office in Whitehall along with other members of her family after writing to him and Prime Minister Tony Blair, requesting a hearing.

Tank Commander Steve Roberts, 33, from Shipley, was shot in the chest during a riot near Iraq's second city of Basra early in the Iraq conflict and questions have been raised about flak jackets and the gun he was carrying.

Mrs Roberts has queried whether the gun was in working order and whether the flak jacket provided enough protection.

Mr Hoon revealed tests on equipment were nearly finished but the final report may not be ready until the New Year.

Mrs Roberts, taking a lead role in this weekend's Poppy Appeal launch, said: "Geoff Hoon was very tactful and very sympathetic. He took the wind out of our sails a bit.

"We were fired up - after all he has not been the most favourite person in our household and there was a lot of anger.

"But he said he would take responsibility for his convictions and he stands by his words. He believes we did the right thing going in."

The family did not have any more answers as to what happened, she said, but added: "We came away feeling better than we expected. I just hope nobody dies in the meantime."

Mrs Roberts, a fitness centre manager, said she had written to Mr Hoon and Mr Blair but had expected nothing to come from it.

"I thought they would be too busy so I was surprised to get a letter back inviting me for talks."

Tomorrow she will be at a Poppy Appeal launch in Rotherham and on Sunday she attends a concert at Leeds Town Hall, on what should have been her second wedding anniversary. A choir will sing the Aerosmith song which Samantha and Steve considered "their" song, I Don't Want to Miss a Thing.

And she will be wearing Steve's wedding ring on a chain around her neck.

"It will be hard for me because of the significance of the date," she said.

"But it is better than being curled up on the sofa.

"I have heard the choir in rehearsal and it sounds incredible. Some of them are ex-servicemen or married to service people and they were crying as they sang it. There is a lot of feeling there.

"Tears will flow, I am sure."

Samantha will be presented with a poppy which will be circulated around the armed services to promote the idea of continuity down the ages.

She is slowly learning to cope after her husband's death.

She said: "I am OK. Different days take me in different ways. I keep myself busy as I find this helps."

Last year's South and West Yorkshire Poppy Appeal raised £758,055 and helped 700 ex-servicemen across the counties. More than £21 million was raised nationally.

The head office in Leeds handled 4,500 requests for help.