DRUG SHAME OF OUR BOYS
9 saved at hotel Hundreds kicked out of forces
NINE people, including four children, had last night been pulled alive from the wreckage of an Italian hotel buried by an avalanche on Wednesday.
The latest rescue took place overnight on Friday – but at least 15 people remain missing beneath the snow. Five have been confirmed dead. Rescuers found one survivor by tracing their mobile phone signal.
One more confirmed survivor has still to be rescued, with Italian media reporting that other voices may have been heard in the ruins. ALMOST 1,000 members of the armed forces were busted for taking illegal drugs last year.
Hundreds of service personnel have been sacked after testing positive for cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and steroids.
The Foot Guards – the troops responsible for keeping the Queen safe – had the worst record in the Army, with more than 80 soldiers caught in the last two years.
The figures are the highest since 2013 and are the equivalent to three members of the armed forces failing drug tests every day.
Documents obtained from a Freedom of Information Request show that the number of servicemen and women caught taking illegal drugs JOE HINTON rose by 30% last year. The biggest rise was in the RAF, which saw a 100% increase in the number of drug takers caught. Eighty air personnel failed compulsory tests in 2016, compared to 40 in 2015.
The Royal Navy saw a 60% increase, with 50 sailors failing tests compared to 30 a year earlier. In the Army, 730 soldiers tested positive, compared with 570 in 2015.
Separate figures also show that since 2015 at least 50 service personnel have tested positive for taking banned steroids.
The armed forces have a zero tolerance policy toward substance abuse. Personnel caught taking drugs risk immediate discharge. A source said: “There’s no place for drugs in the armed forces. Military personnel have to be able to trust each other with their lives and you can’t do that if someone is off their head on drugs.”
Almost 540 soldiers were discharged in 2015 for drug offences.
Figures up to April 2016 showed that 180 soldiers had been discharged, but defence sources expect the final number to increase significantly.
An MoD spokesman said: “We conduct compulsory drug tests because substance misuse is incompatible with service life.
“Only around 0.3% of the armed forces fail them and anyone who falls short of our high standards can expect to be disciplined.”