Get Them

AWOL team to round up our soldiers

The Army is to appoint a hit-squad of specialist Sgt Majors to round up thousands of AWOL troops.

The crack team will be based throughout the UK to tackle the problem of around 2,000 absentees a year.

The decision to sign up 11 Absence Recovery Warrant Officers came at a crisis meeting of top brass, who are trying to cope with chronic lack of troops.

Normally it is left to regiments to pursue their own absent soldiers or to civilian police if they are arrested.

But it is sometimes difficult - for example if a member of a Scots regiments based in the South of England runs home to Glasgow.

A senior military insider said last night: "The problem of people going AWOL has always existed. But we need all the staff we can get."