Investigation after incident at RAF Tain where small-arms, rifle and aerial bombing training are conducted by UK, Nato and US armed forces

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A member of the armed forces killed at a military range in Tain, Scotland, is believed to have died on its rifle and target range, a local councillor has said.

Councillor Alasdair Rhind, the deputy leader of Highland council, said he had been told the incident centred on the army’s live firing ranges at RAF Tain and did not involve the large air force bomb targeting ranges there.

Police and ambulance crews were called to the range at about 5.55pm on Tuesday and were responding to reports the incident involved multiple service members.

Police Scotland said one person had been fatally injured, but no one else was involved. A cordon has been thrown around the base, which sits on the Dornoch Firth about 30 miles north of Inverness.

There are unconfirmed reports the dead soldier, who has not been named, was with the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The family has been informed.

Rhind, an independent councillor, told BBC Radio Scotland: “I would think our community will be most concerned with the family of the person who has lost their life down there, and our sympathies go to the family today.”

His condolences were echoed by Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, who said: “This is a tragic incident and my deepest condolences go to the family, friends and colleagues of the person who has died. It is another important reminder of the often difficult and dangerous job our armed forces do every day.”

A Police Scotland spokesman said there were no other casualties. “Police Scotland is leading the investigation to establish the full circumstances of this incident and is working closely with the armed forces. This was a contained incident and there was no threat to the public,” he said.

Rhind said the range, which is the only one of its type in the UK, had a very good safety record and it was unlikely the soldier’s death would increase calls for a review of its operations unless something significant emerged from the investigation.

“All the time it has been there, I can’t recall any incident at the Tain range,” Rhind said. “So I think we need to know the full extent of the incident before asking for any clarity or saying things shouldn’t happen.”

Rhind said there had been complaints and fears in the past about helicopter noise at night, but the impact had lessened following recent defence spending cuts. But last week the local Scottish National party MP, Paul Monaghan, complained about the range being used for late-night targeting practice.

Monaghan said it annoyed residents. “At Tain, high-speed jets are flying over the town, dropping concrete bombs on to the bombing range up to 11.30pm every day of the week.

“It is highly destructive to the environment, it causes untold concern to people that live in Tain and it is completely unacceptable.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We will release more information as and when it becomes available. It would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this point.”

The Tain range is used by tri-service, US air force and other Nato air forces for bombing and strafing practice. It has 18 separate targets suitable for a variety of weapons and delivery methods. Typhoons and Tornados from RAF Lossiemouth are the main air users of the range. Tain is also responsible for Cape Wrath Range near the village of Durness.

Both ranges employ a number of civilian contracted workers who manage the estate, assist in the control tower, target-score and deal with ordnance clearance.

The incident comes a little more than two months after a soldier was shot dead during a live-firing exercise at the Otterburn training area in Northumberland.

Pte Conor McPherson, 24, a member of the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, sustained a serious head wound on 22 August.

Just over a month before McPherson’s death, a soldier died on a training exercise on what was the hottest day of the year in Brecon, south Wales. Joshua Hoole, 26, from Ecclefechan near Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, was on pre-course training for the platoon sergeants’ battle course when he died on 19 July.

Hoole, a member of the Rifles regiment, collapsed after taking part in a fitness test near the Dering Lines infantry training centre at about 6.30am.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding both earlier deaths.