The father of a military policeman killed by an Iraqi mob last night criticised the Government's decision to allow the sailors held captive in Iran to sell the stories.

Reg Keys, whose son, Thomas, was one of the six members of the Royal Military Police killed in June 2003, said the sailors who had been paid for their stories were "being used" to create "anti-Iranian propaganda".

He refused to blame the sailors for profiting from their ordeal, and said it was natural when the media "dangle these sums of money in front of young people".

However, he criticised senior Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials and the Government for allowing the 15 sailors to take payments in return for their accounts.

"There are people serving in Iraq with possibly far more interesting stories who are not allowed to talk to the media," he said.

"When my son died, it was under very controversial circumstances as he didn't have a working radio.

"When we tried to speak to his colleagues, they were told they were not allowed to speak to the press or the public.

"Six men died in such circumstances and when we tried to find out, we were met with a wall of silence.

"It seems to me that it is selective. If the story aids the Government in their propaganda against the Iranians, they will allow people to speak, but if it is embarrassing to the Government or the Ministry of Defence, you are not allowed to.

"I think they are being used. That is why they are being given permission. If their stories highlighted MoD or military inadequacies or failings, they would not be allowed to sell their story."

His comments came last night after Leading Seaman Faye Turney's story appeared in The Sun, in which she said she believed her captors had measured her for a coffin and planned to kill her.

Media sources said the 25-year-old from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, had turned down a #100,000 payout from another outlet to accept a significantly lower figure from the paper, along with the ITV programme Tonight With Trevor McDonald, on which she appeared last night.

LS Turney told how her Iranian captors had called her mother-in-law and urged her to go to Tehran.

She said: "They phoned my mother-in-law, the Iranians phoned her up and tried to convince her to fly out to Tehran within 24 hours to try and secure my release. I only found out about that when I got back. They were playing with my head while I was in there, but don't mess with my family on the outside.

"There were times when it got a bit much, when I thought about my family and what they must be going through."

Only hours before the broadcast, Defence Secretary Des Browne announced military personnel had been banned from selling their stories to the media.

He said the Navy had faced a "very tough call" over the previous decision to allow them to sell their stories.

But he said everyone concerned recognised it had "not reached a satisfactory outcome" .