Mrs Hickey, from East Bierley, was among the families of other war victims to hear the former prime minister give evidence at the Iraq Inquiry.

She said that although the former Labour leader was "visibly shaking" when he entered the room, he gave a "polished and well rehearsed performance", during the six-hour questioning on Friday.

Her son Christian, a sergeant with the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, was killed when a roadside bomb exploded while he was on foot patrol in Basra in 2005.

Since his death, the grieving anti-war campaigner has worked with groups such as Military families Against the War to push for a public inquiry into the invasion of Iraq.

And Mr Blair's appearance before the panel, lead by Sir John Chilcot, has been eagerly anticipated.

The panel had already heard witnesses suggest he told President Bush at their April 2002 meeting in Texas, that the UK would join the Americans in a war with Iraq.

Mrs Hickey, who was one of only 40 members of the public to get a seat at the inquiry, said: "There was no remorse there whatsoever.

"We were sitting about 20ft away from him, and when he came in he was visibly shaking.

"I thought for a minute then that we might get somewhere, but then he went into actor mode and gave a polished and well-ehearsed performance."

Mrs Hickey said she thought members of the panel could have pressed Mr Blair further.

"The inquiry should have been conducted in a court of law, as none of the panel are from a legal background and Blair got away with glib answers," she said. "A trained barrister would have pushed until they reached a satisfactory answer.

"At times, Blair controlled the panel."

At the end of the session, the committee chairman asked Mr Blair if he had any regrets about the war.

He said that although he was "sorry" it had been "divisive", he believed it was the right thing to remove Saddam Hussein.

Mrs Hickey added: "He thought his conduct and decisions were appropriate.

"What stuck in my throat was that he came in through the back door and he left though the back door.

"Once again he declined to meet the families of the fallen soldiers.

"This is the second time I have been in the same building as him and he has refused to see me.

"He is a coward."

When Mr Blair left he was booed by some members of the public and two women called him a "liar" and a "murderer".