About turn! Williamson orders Army to axe golden hellos for cocaine-shame troops after MoS exposé

DEFENCE Secretary Gavin Williamson has blocked soldiers kicked out of the Army for taking drugs from returning to the ranks and pocketing £10,000 ‘golden hello’ payments.

The Secretary of State ordered a U-turn after The Mail on Sunday revealed how thousands of squaddies given the boot for using banned substances such as cocaine, cannabis and ketamine can re-enlist and apply for jobs that come with extra financial incentives. The policy, launched earlier this year in a desperate bid to solve the Army’s recruitment crisis, was branded an outrage by critics and an insult to troops who obey the rules.

Since 2005, more than 5,000 soldiers have been kicked out of the Army after failing drugs tests but, remarkably, drug-taking troops were able to get back in just two years after their most recent offence – and could even return to the same ranks they achieved before being ejected.

But following our front page story, Mr Williamson has now ordered top brass to reject any applications to re-enlist from troops discharged from the Army after failing drugs tests.

The Defence Secretary’s restoration of the Army’s zerotolerance policy towards drug taking represents a major victory for the MoS. In recent months we revealed how senior officers have gone soft on offenders – including how 40 per cent of troops who failed drug tests last year were given a second chance.

This is the second time in a year that Mr Williamson has changed a key defence policy following our revelations. Last December he stepped in to preserve the Army’s famous ‘Be the Best’ motto after top brass followed the advice of image consultants, who thought the phrase was elitist and should be scrapped.

Speaking exclusively to the MoS last night, the Defence Secretary REVELATION: Our report last week said: ‘Drugs have absolutely no place in our Armed Forces, which is why I have made it clear there should be a zero-tolerance approach for anyone found to have taken illegal substances. I am determined to stamp out the malevolent presence of drugs in our military and only a zerotolerance approach can do that.’

Mr Williamson’s new crackdown is expected to become official Army policy within weeks, after meetings with senior officers and military lawyers. But the full force of his edict is already being felt.

We can also reveal how a soldier who tested positive for cocaine in September has been booted out. No leniency was shown to Guardsman Charanpreet Singh Lall, 22, of the Coldstream Guards, even though he qualified for a reprieve based on his age and junior rank.