Removal of wardens at live fire ranges putting lives at risk, says Labour
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Version 0 of 1. Soldiers’ lives are being put at risk by costcutting at the Ministry of Defence after six Gurkhas were allowed to wander into the arc of fire at a training range last week, Labour has warned. Kate Hollern, a shadow defence minister, is seeking a urgent review of the decision to remove trained safety wardens from their posts at live ammunition ranges following the incident in Hythe, Kent. She has written to Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, warning that there are now 80 live fire ranges where wardens have been removed from their posts. “This led directly to the recent incident where a group of Gurkha soldiers using the ranges at Hythe in Kent walked down the range they were using to the foreshore, not realising that the firing range next to them was still being used, and that they were, therefore, in the arc of fire,” Hollern said. “I am sure you will agree this was a very serious incident, which could have resulted in one or more of those soldiers being injured or killed, an incident which would clearly have been prevented had a range warden been in place to monitor the users’ behaviour and stop any unsafe movements. “It is clear that there is a tragic and avoidable accident waiting to happen, and I would respectfully request you to look into this issue as a matter of the utmost urgency and seriousness.” Labour is now seeking an urgent question in the House of Commons on the issue, while the Unite union warned that military training grounds have become deathtraps. In a letter to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), Bob Middleton, a Unite regional officer, said: “Earlier last week, a group of Gurkha soldiers who were using the ranges at Hythe in Kent decided to walk down the range they were using to the foreshore. “The range next to them was still being used. They were, therefore, in the arc of fire and could have been injured or killed. I have been informed that following this incident, the affected ranges were closed for two hours while there was an investigation.” He said the removal of safety wardens was linked to Landmarc winning the MoD contract for the national training estate in 2014. A spokeswoman for the DIO said: “The Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Landmarc work together to provide a safe place for the military to train. “When a range is in use, it is handed over to the unit training, overseen by a qualified and experienced range conducting officer who is a member of the unit and responsible for the safe conduct of that exercise.” |