A Royal Air Force (RAF) base in eastern England has advised personnel stationed there not to wear uniforms while off-duty, fearing abuse from local residents opposed to Britain's military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.
British Defence Secretary Des Browne said the decision to encourage personnel at RAF Wittering, near Peterborough, in the county of Cambridgeshire, to wear civilian clothing while visiting the town was "a great shame."
'SHAME'
"We must defend our forces' right to wear their uniforms in public," Browne said in a statement. "It is a great shame that some individuals in this community don't respect our forces -- who are daily doing a great deal for this nation. This is not a situation we should tolerate."
"We learned about this today and are investigating it as a matter of urgency. I hope that by working closely with Peterborough City Council and the local police, service personnel at RAF Wittering will soon be able to wear their uniforms freely about the town with the support of the local people," Browne said.
DIFFICULT JOB
"Whatever people's views are about specific military operations, everyone should be able to recognize the bravery and professionalism of our armed forces and respect the difficult job they do," said Air Chief Marshall Glenn Torpy, the chief of the air staff.
British soldiers stationed in Northern Ireland were similarly advised in years past, a spokesman for the defence ministry said, adding that such decisions were usually left for station commanders to make.
A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police, which covers Peterborough, said she was not aware of any incidents involving military personnel being attacked or abused in the town.
More than 2,000 military personnel are based at RAF Wittering, which was established in 1916.
Britain has about 7,800 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and 4,100 troops in Iraq.
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