RAF trio accused of car theft bid

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Three airmen are facing trial in the Middle East for allegedly attempting to steal a vehicle from a member of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family.

The three off-duty members of an RAF Tornado crew were arrested by local police on Thursday and released on Sunday to stand trial next week.

They were in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, on an exercise, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The Foreign Office said it had issued an apology, but would not say to whom.

'Local sensitivities'

In a statement, an MoD spokesman said: "The RAF can confirm that three off-duty personnel were arrested in Abu Dhabi on 6 December by local police in connection with an alleged incident.

"They were released on bail on 9 December. The RAF can also confirm that they were in Abu Dhabi on an air exercise with multi-national forces.

"We expect our service personnel abroad to conduct themselves appropriately, taking into account local sensitivities."