Army makes arrest over hoax Daily Mirror photographs

by Gordon MacMillan,, Brand Republic 19-May-04, 09:10

LONDON – The Royal Military Police have arrested at least one soldier over the hoax Daily Mirror Iraqi abuse photographs, which last week cost editor Piers Morgan his job.

Reports this morning said that RMP officers had arrested one solider as part of what an army spokeswoman described as a routine part of the investigation into the origin of the hoax photographs, which have been run around the world and raised levels of hostility to British troops serving in Southern Iraq.

The soldier was arrested yesterday by the RMP's Special Investigation Branch. An MoD spokeswoman said: "At least one soldier was arrested to be questioned under caution in connection with the Mirror photographs."

As yet no charges have been bought against the two men, codenamed Solider A and Solider B, who sold the story and the pictures to the Daily Mirror. It is also unclear whether the soldier arrested is one of these two men who could now face court martial and prison. The men are understood to have been paid £5,000 each.

At the weekend it was reported that the military investigation had already identified one of the suspects from close examination of the hoax photographs. He is thought to be a member of the TA regiment, the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers, who served in Iraq with the Queen's Lancashire's. The Bedford lorry used in the fake photos was located at the unit’s Kimberley barracks in Preston.

The Daily Mirror has since made a front page apology for the story and said that it was hoaxed. Morgan resigned on Friday and is reported to be asking for as much as £1.5m.

The Daily Mirror's defence came crumbling down towards the end of last week when the RMP said it had identified the truck, located in Preston, and said that the Bedford Mk I had never been to Iraq.

In its apology to readers, the paper said: "We apologise for publishing pictures which we now believe were not genuine. We also say sorry to the Queen's Lancashire Regiment and our Army in Iraq for publishing those pictures."

However, the regiment still faces questions over abuse in Iraq and four serving soldiers were earlier this week being interviewed by the RMP over claims that they mistreated prisoners although there is no evidence to suggest the scale is anything like the problems the Americans are facing.

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