Gulf War hero Steve Roberts would have been "chuffed" to see his name linked to a charity for ex-servicemen - especially if it was connected to his favourite tipple and was aimed at raising £10,000.

Steve's 32-year-old widow Samantha, from Shipley, visited Keighley's award-winning Timothy Taylor brewery to launch The Royal British Legion Steve Roberts challenge.

"Steve would have been really chuffed, especially if he knew the challenge was connected with beer," said Samantha, pictured, a health club manager.

"He loved his beer - that's a bit of an understatement."

Steve, a 33 year-old Tank Commander, was the first British serviceman to die in the Iraq conflict. He was the victim of a gun battle outside the city of Basra on March 23.

Now Samantha is now hoping his memory will inspire people to help raise the £10,000 target in just seven weeks.

Samantha launched the challenge with a taste of Timothy Taylor's Landlord beer and then went on to meet eight Timothy Taylor employees, all ex-members of the armed forces.

Since, Steve's death she has become a keen supporter of the British Legion. "He thought a lot about the Legion - it was very important to him," said Samantha.

"He was very appreciative of the people who fought in the First and Second World Wars - he looked up to them.

"But the Legion is also important to people serving right up to the present day. And this conflict has added another 50 families."

Timothy Taylor managing director Charles Dent, who is also Deputy Honorary Colonel of the East & West Riding Regiment TA Ypres company, said he was proud to have the brewery linked to the challenge.

"The aim is to demonstrate that the British Legion is about today's generation of servicemen as well as the veterans of the First and Second World Wars," he said.

"The challenge is very appropriate because Steve lived in Shipley and he loved his beer."

The company is donating £5 to the Legion for every barrel of beer ordered directly from the brewery at Knowle Springs during the seven week challenge.

Each pub involved will also attempt to raise at least £100 with its own fund-raising scheme.

Samantha plans to attend the Northern Remembrance Concert at Leeds Town Hall on Sunday October 26, featuring the Band of the Royal Marines and the BBC Young Choir of the Year.

She is critical of the three years it is expected to take before an inquiry is held into her husband's death.

She claims he would have survived had it not been for faulty equipment and she claims his pistol was so faulty it misfired, that he was denied basic desert kit, and that he was away from his army vehicle without a protective flak jacket.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said the matter was being investigated.