Two Afghanistan servicemen were killed by a makeshift bomb after equipment "deficiencies" had left their patrol without enough metal detectors.

An inquest has heard Gary Thompson, 51, from Nottingham and Glasgow man Graham Livingstone, 23, who were Senior Aircraftmen (SACs) in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment, died in a roadside explosion outside Kandahar Airfield - the main Nato base in southern Afghanistan.

A coroner heard on Tuesday that the patrol had only one metal detector between six vehicles, meaning a vulnerable river crossing was not exhaustively scanned for IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).

SAC Thompson and SAC Livingstone were killed in the blast on April 13 last year, which injured two other men.

The inquest in Trowbridge heard that the explosion occurred as the convoy was crossing back over the shallow river, having regrouped from performing split missions.

The first group over had been able to conduct some checks at the water, but it had not been able to carry out complete drills because the only metal detector was with the other team.

However, it was not known if a metal detector could have picked up the device, which was made largely of plastic, Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner David Masters heard.

Sergeant Christopher Pacey, who was in a WMIK Land Rover, told the court: "Being aware that we didn't have the appropriate equipment to carry out (the drills), the only thing you could do was use other equipment at our disposal - binoculars and thermal imaging equipment to check for disrupted ground."

He added: "We checked to the best of our ability with the equipment we had and found nothing at that time."

The coroner asked: "Would you have preferred to have undertaken the drill with a metal detector?"

Sgt Pacey replied: "Yes, sir."

Mr Masters continued: "Were you concerned that you weren't able to conduct it with a metal detector?"

"Yes, sir."

The inquest continues.