Friday, December 10, 2004
Only In The UK
Now this is funny...
LONDON10/12/04 - News and city section - Fancy dress soldier sparks terror scare
A drunken soldier sparked a security alert when he left a regimental party dressed as an Arab suicide bomber, it emerged today. Fifteen squad cars, armed police, and dog handlers were called out after an alarmed member of the public spotted the sergeant dressed in the terrorist outfit. Royal Military Police were also called out after he was seen wearing a turban and false beard and Arab style clothing at around 4pm on Wednesday.
The sergeant, from the Coldstream Guards regiment, also had orange paper, wires and candles stuffed into his combat jacket to look like explosives. He had been to an annual fancy-dress party at Aldershot Army base, in Hampshire, celebrating his regiment's role in the Battle of Waterloo, in 1815, and was walking home along Camp Farm Road when he was spotted.
The sergeant, with 10 years' service, was arrested by Hampshire Police and spent a night in custody. He admitted a public disorder offence and was fined £80. A Hampshire Police spokesman said the regiment had been embarrassed by the incident and the Sergeant Major had called to assure police "there would not be any other people leaving the party dressed like that".
A spokesman for Aldershot Army base said the party was supposed to be held in the privacy of the Army base but this particular soldier had tried to walk home along a public road.
"Soldiers have ways of coping with the things they do. They face people like that. If you take the mickey out of them, that's a device for coping," he said. "That's perfectly fair. What's not correct is spreading alarm by walking about like that on the public road."
He added: "There is a security situation isn't there and we might take the time to consider what is a suicide bomber doing walking down the main drag in the army camp all by himself.
"That's not exactly what these people do but I would rather somebody gave us a call so that we can deal with it rather than leave it."
A Hampshire Police spokesman said: "There wasn't anything behind his actions. He was just a drunk soldier, therefore he didn't get charged with anything more serious.
"There's going to be an internal army inquiry."
posted by El Capitan at 2:29 PM
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