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Top army bomb squad officer quits | Top army bomb squad officer quits |
(20 minutes later) | |
The Army's top bomb disposal officer has resigned, the MoD has said. | The Army's top bomb disposal officer has resigned, the MoD has said. |
The BBC understands from army sources that Colonel Bob Seddon, of the Royal Logistic Corps, quit over fears bomb disposal training could be compromised. | |
There has been pressure on the Army to produce more bomb-disposal experts quickly as a result of the threat of roadside bombs in Afghanistan. | |
An Army spokesman said it "remains committed to the counter improvised explosive device effort". | |
In an interview with the BBC's Panorama, Col Seddon, who held the post of principal ammunition technical officer, said he was concerned about the impact on his team of a shortage of soldiers trained to defuse homemade explosives. | |
He also said he is also worried about the length of tours and the lack of rest for his elite unit. | He also said he is also worried about the length of tours and the lack of rest for his elite unit. |
He was interviewed for the programme - which is due to be broadcast later - by Christina Schmid, the widow of Staff Sergeant Oz Schmid, who was killed in Afghanistan in October 2009. | |
Guidelines broken | |
In the interview Col Seddon said: "I'm very concerned that in the longer term that some of my people who have done phenomenally difficult and dangerous work in Afghanistan may pay a deeper psychological price for the work that they've conducted." | |
He said measures are in place to bring in more explosives experts but it takes at least six years to fully train a specialist operator, meaning the pressure on existing units is not easily abated. | |
"It means the existing cohort are going to be under pressure." | |
11 EOD Regiment lost two of their most experienced men during their last tour of Helmand - Staff Sgt Schmid and Captain Dan Read. | |
The Ministry of Defence said steps are being taken to recruit more soldiers to the job. | |
The Army has begun to offer £50,000 payments to top bomb disposal soldiers willing to sign on for another tour of duty in Afghanistan in a bid to ease the pressure on the units already deployed. | |
In a statement to the BBC, the MoD admitted guidelines for rest periods and the length of tours had been broken in Afghanistan. | |
"Unfortunately at a time of high operational commitment, breaches of harmony guidelines do occur but we are taking steps to address the situation." | |
Panorama: A Very British Hero, BBC One, Monday 24 May at 2030BST |