Army chief: I’ll protect Troubles veterans

N Ireland soldiers who secured peace will be guarded from facing ‘vexatious’ claims

THE new Armed Forces chief has warned against rewriting history as he insisted troops did a “bloody good job” in Northern Ireland and promised to guard veterans against “a clutch of vexatious claims”.

Sir Nick Carter, the recently installed Chief of the Defence Staff, yesterday waded into the growing row over the treatment of retired soldiers being investigated over incidents during the Troubles.

Sir Nick, in his first public statements on the controversy since taking over as head of the Armed Forces, said that troops had done an “extraordinarily amazing task” in securing peace in Northern Ireland and warned the public not to forget their role.

His comments follow the disclosure in The Daily Telegraph that a 76-yearold former sergeant in the Parachute regiment is being investigated for attempted murder over allegations dating back to 1972 that he fired his rifle and dislodged masonry which might have injured two demonstrators, who suffered minor wounds.

The paratrooper, who can be identified only as Sergeant O, welcomed Sir Nick’s intervention, but said that his “helpful words” were not sufficient and that “he must now do something” to protect veterans.

Writing in today’s Telegraph, Karen Bradley, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, also praised “the heroic contribution” and “sacrifice” of troops – but risked further criticism by refusing to bow to demands for a statute of limitations that would prevent prosecutions.

Ms Bradley wrote that such a move was “not legally possible to do without extending it to the terrorists”.

The row threatens to engulf the Government and had already prompted a split in the Cabinet when a proposed amnesty was left out of a consultation document over how to deal with legacy killings.

In a briefing to reporters during a tour of RAF bases, Sir Nick flagged up his own concerns at the pursuit of veterans, now in their 60s and 70s, over incidents in Northern Ireland up to 50 years ago.

Sir Nick said: “What we must try and remind ourselves about this whole Northern Ireland issue is actually what an extraordinarily amazing task the British Army did through 30 years in Northern Ireland.

“And we wouldn’t be in a position which we now are in if the British Army hadn’t done a remarkable job in getting us to that position – and I really hope that’s not forgotten in all of this.”

He added: “It is right and proper that if our soldiers have done something wrong then they should clearly be investigated. But only if they have done something wrong.

“What is fundamentally wrong, though, is if they’re chased by people who are making vexatious claims – and that will not happen on my watch. Absolutely not.

“If you end up with a clutch of vexatious claims, then that undermines morale and has the risk of undermining

our combat ethos and our fighting spirit. I would absolutely stamp on any of that sort of activity.”

Sergeant O, who was interviewed by police under caution for attempted murder more than two years ago over events at Bloody Sunday in Londonderry in 1972, said: “Nick Carter’s comments are helpful, but he must now do something. He must press the Government to act. It can’t go on like this.”

Sergeant O, who had a stroke and is partially paralysed down one side, faces being the first soldier charged

over Bloody Sunday, in which 14 civil rights protesters were killed, and then jailed if convicted. His wife died recently and Sergeant O has suggested that the stress of his predicament had contributed to her death.

Dennis Hutchings, 77, who has been charged with attempted murder over the shooting of a 27-year-old man with learning difficulties who was running away from an Army patrol in County Tyrone in 1974, also welcomed Sir Nick’s

‘He needs to do a lot more than a few choice words. It is time they looked after us’

comments. Mr Hutchings, a greatgrandfather who lives in Cornwall and is in ill health, said: “At least someone in the Ministry of Defence has stood up and said some words of support. That has been lacking. But he needs to do a

lot more than a few choice words. It is about time they looked after us.”

Sir Michael Fallon, the former defence secretary, has proposed a 20year statute of limitations that would rule out prosecutions of troops over events during the Troubles. But the DUP, which props up Theresa May’s government, has ruled out an amnesty for troops, as has Sinn Féin. The DUP fears such a time-bar would have to be applied to terror suspects as well.