War hero’s medals in family row fetch £90k

A FALKLANDS hero’s medals fetched £90,000 last night at an auction arranged by his wife – despite the soldier’s brother interrupting in protest.

Steve Bingley, 48, tearfully told the room: ‘They should be passed to his daughter.’

Paratrooper Gary Bingley’s widow Jay Hyrons, 60, wore dark glasses and sobbed at the Spink and Son auction in Bloomsbury, London, as the hammer fell.

Lance Corporal Bingley was posthumously awarded the Military Medal for his bravery in storming an Argentine machine gunner in 1982, aged 24. When his widow, formerly Jayne, was handed the honour by the Queen, she showed it to their four-year-old daughter Zoe and said: ‘When she’s older, I’ll be

‘They should go to his daughter’

able to tell her all about her hero daddy and give her his medals.’

The new owner was an anonymous bidder online.

Mr Bingley said: ‘I can’t put a price on these medals…a symbol to my family and what he did … they should be passed to his daughter, Zoe.’

Now living in Australia, Zoe McKay, 39, said earlier this week she was ‘deeply saddened’ by her mother’s decision to sell them to fund her battle with ill health.

Miss Hyrons said: ‘There are always two sides…I have remained silent to maintain my dignity and protect Zoe’s.’

Auctioneer David Erskine-Hill said it was only the second time he had seen such an intervention in 40 years.