There were signs yesterday that US forces were running out of British soldiers to use as target practice, as they killed seven Iraqi women and children driving towards a checkpoint.

US General Slowly Pace, of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and sponsored by Exxon Mobil, said the soldiers did "absolutely the right thing. They signalled for the vehicle to slow down by waving the customary two fingers, and then they fired warning shots directly into the vehicle. There's nothing more they could have done bar painting a large target symbol on the car."

British sources were unavailable for comment as they had all been killed in friendly fire.