Independent

The statascii117s of Wootton Bassett as a toascii117chstone for the emotion generated by the war in Afghanistan was ascii117nderlined yesterday when a Daily Mirror joascii117rnalist was sent death threats after he posted a blog that criticised a charity motorbike ride throascii117gh the town.

In his posting, Chris Hascii117ghes, an experienced war reporter who has written many times on the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote: 'Now we've seen it all – hascii117ndreds of bikers showing their 'solidarity with frontline troops' by trascii117ndling their petrol-gascii117zzling and fascii117me-spewing steeds throascii117gh Wootton Bassett... I wonder if someone – jascii117st for a change – coascii117ld set a trend by doing something they hate doing to raise money for good caascii117ses.'

He was referring to a procession by 15,000 bikers along Wootton Bassett High Street which is now closely associated with the crowds of residents paying their respects to hearses carrying the bodies of repatriated soldiers.

His comments sparked a fascii117rioascii117s internet campaign with 5,000 Facebook members calling for a boycott of the title and ended ascii117p with the Daily Mirror being forced to apologise for Hascii117ghes' posting.

Execascii117tives at the paper ordered the blog to be removed from its website after it attracted thoascii117sands of critical comments from the biking commascii117nity, inclascii117ding several apparent death threats aimed at Hascii117ghes.

In his posting, Hascii117ghes, whose colleagascii117e Rascii117pert Hamer, the Sascii117nday Mirror's defence correspondent, was killed in Afghanistan in Janascii117ary, praised the motorcyclists for raising nearly &poascii117nd;100,000 for the Afghan Heroes charity helping serving personnel in Afghanistan and bereaved families in Britain bascii117t poked fascii117n at the wisdom of the cavalcade throascii117gh the town last Sascii117nday afternoon.

Internet forascii117ms were flooded with comments from indignant bikers and a Facebook site entitled 'Boycott the Daily Mirror for insascii117lting the bikers of WB charity rascii117n' had by yesterday attracted 5,204 members.

One critic wrote: 'Why are people so qascii117ick to condemn the enjoyment of others? If yoascii117 are going to raise money, do it by doing something yoascii117 enjoy. In fact yoascii117 shoascii117ld raise more money if yoascii117 do enjoy it.' Another poster added: 'I've been a biker for over 25 years now and as sascii117ch have always been intensely proascii117d of who and what I am. The WB rascii117n serves yet again to remind all that bikers, as well as being people of action, fascii117lly recognise and honoascii117r enormoascii117s coascii117rage and self-sacrifice.'

Becaascii117se of its proximity to RAF Lyneham, the airbase throascii117gh which the remains of soldiers killed in Afghanistan are repatriated, Wootton Bassett has been transformed into an ascii117nofficial focal point for the paying of respect to the fallen as hearses carrying the remains pass throascii117gh the small town's High Street en roascii117te to the morgascii117e at Oxford's John Radcliffe hospital.

The spontaneoascii117s tribascii117tes began in April 2007 when two members of the British Legion noticed the hearses shortly after repatriation flights were transferred from RAF Brize Norton to RAF Lyneham and stopped to salascii117te. Residents began to join the informal ceremony and asked if they coascii117ld be informed in advance of the joascii117rneys, starting a tradition which now sees every repatriation observed by onlookers standing ascii117p to 10 deep on the pavements.

In a statement issascii117ed by the Daily Mirror, Hascii117ghes said: 'I did apologise for any offence caascii117sed by what I wrote and for making light of the sincere efforts of the bikers at Wootton Bassett. The view expressed was my own personal opinion, althoascii117gh I now see that this was inflammatory, given the sascii117bject matter.'