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| Thousands of soldiers 'off sick' | Thousands of soldiers 'off sick' |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Up to one in 14 soldiers may be unfit for active service through sickness or injury, figures suggest. | Up to one in 14 soldiers may be unfit for active service through sickness or injury, figures suggest. |
| According to the Ministry of Defence, 10 battalions recently sent to Iraq and Afghanistan left 400 sick behind. | According to the Ministry of Defence, 10 battalions recently sent to Iraq and Afghanistan left 400 sick behind. |
| Tory MP Patrick Mercer, who obtained the figures, said if this were typical, it could mean 7,000 troops were unfit. | |
| He said this under-manning, which comes on top of a 3,800 troop shortfall, was "absolutely debilitating", particularly for Royal Artillery and infantry units. | He said this under-manning, which comes on top of a 3,800 troop shortfall, was "absolutely debilitating", particularly for Royal Artillery and infantry units. |
| Shortages 'acute' | Shortages 'acute' |
| Mr Mercer, a former infantry commander, told BBC News: "It distresses me that units such as 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment are carrying up to 20% of their strength as long-term sick - in other words, people that can't deploy to the front. | Mr Mercer, a former infantry commander, told BBC News: "It distresses me that units such as 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment are carrying up to 20% of their strength as long-term sick - in other words, people that can't deploy to the front. |
| "Therefore when 2 Yorks, for instance, are sent to Afghanistan, they've got to find 100 odd soldiers from elsewhere to take their place." | "Therefore when 2 Yorks, for instance, are sent to Afghanistan, they've got to find 100 odd soldiers from elsewhere to take their place." |
| He told the Daily Telegraph the under-manning was "an albatross" over commanders' heads and a "liability" in time of war. | He told the Daily Telegraph the under-manning was "an albatross" over commanders' heads and a "liability" in time of war. |
| The paper says troop shortages are so acute that elements of six battalions will be needed to do the work of four when the next brigade is deployed to Afghanistan this spring. | The paper says troop shortages are so acute that elements of six battalions will be needed to do the work of four when the next brigade is deployed to Afghanistan this spring. |
| A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The use of elements from a number of battalions is not new and the current deployment of 52 Brigade contains forces from four infantry battalions and two other battalions. | A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The use of elements from a number of battalions is not new and the current deployment of 52 Brigade contains forces from four infantry battalions and two other battalions. |
| "Details of individual units programmed to deploy will be announced shortly. Battle casualty replacements are provided as and when required by the chain of command." | "Details of individual units programmed to deploy will be announced shortly. Battle casualty replacements are provided as and when required by the chain of command." |
| The figures come a week after the defence select committee said it was deeply concerned that the armed forces had been operating above their resourcing level for seven of the past eight years. | The figures come a week after the defence select committee said it was deeply concerned that the armed forces had been operating above their resourcing level for seven of the past eight years. |