The mother of one of six soldiers killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan believes harrowing details read at an inquest have helped her grieve properly for the first time.

Margaret Charlesworth, mum of Private Anton Frampton, wept as she heard of what had happened to her son.

The two-day inquest in Oxford was told how the armoured Warrior vehicle, built to withstand such explosions, was ripped apart and turned over.

The hearing was told that Anton, 20, took the brunt of the blast.

Mrs Charlesworth, 49, of Longwood, said that before the inquest she had not fully accepted her son’s death, even 18 months after the tragedy.

But the inquest brought it home in the starkest of terms.

“I had seen the pathologist’s report before but hearing the details read out at the inquest was harrowing,” she said.

“It went into a lot of detail and we heard that Anton took the full force of the blast.

“In one sense at least I know for a fact that he did not suffer and can take solace in that.”

A coroner this week ruled that Anton, of Longwood, Cpl Jake Hartley, 20, of New Mill, Pte Daniel Wilford, 21, of Cowlersley, Pte Daniel Wade, 20, Pte Christopher Kershaw, 19, and Sgt Nigel Coupe, 33, were all unlawfully killed.

They died in Helmand Province on March 6, 2012.

Mrs Charlesworth attended the inquest with her husband Martin, 57, daughter Gemma, 27, sister Catherine Jones, 57, and brother-in-law Martin, 59.

While saying she would be “heartbroken for the rest of my life”, Mrs Charlesworth said the trauma of the inquest had helped her grieve.

“This made it real for me,” she said. “I hadn’t really accepted his death before and every Friday I look at the door expecting him to walk in as he used to.

“I had to be strong for Anton because we had to find out the truth.

“I never let him down when he was alive and I wasn’t going to let him down now.”

Mrs Charlesworth had legal representation paid for by the Royal British Legion and said she was grateful for everyone’s support, including the public of Huddersfield.

Her husband said the family had received some answers from the inquest but not all.

They were concerned at how the Warrior had failed to withstand the blast.

“We are told this was the best vehicle available yet it was still blown to smithereens,” said Mr Charlesworth.

“The expert who gave evidence was of the opinion that this explosive device was nothing extraordinary.

“Why the vehicle didn’t withstand the explosion wasn’t really explained in court.

“We believed that when Anton went out he would be as safe as possible.”

The legal process is now over and Mrs Charlesworth added: “I have to accept now that I will never see my boy again.

“Anton was the apple of my eye and I just have to learn to live without him. We have to try to rebuild our lives.”