SAS chief quits over 'gross negligence' that killed his troops



'Gross negligence': Corporal Sarah Bryant, 26, was the first British woman to die in active service in Afghanistan

A commander of the SAS in Afghanistan has resigned – blaming the Government's failure to provide adequate kit for the needless deaths of four of his colleagues.



Major Sebastian Morley criticised the 'gross negligence' of Whitehall officials and military commanders. He said they repeatedly ignored his warnings about the vulnerability of Snatch Land Rovers.



Four troops were travelling in one of the lightly armoured vehicles when it hit a landmine in Helmand province on June 17 this year. The blast split the car apart, killing those inside – Corporal Sarah Bryant and SAS soldiers Corporal Sean Reeve, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin and Paul Stout.



Corporal Bryant was the first female soldier to die in Afghanistan.



In his resignation letter, Major Morley, the commander of D Squadron 23 SAS, blamed 'chronic underinvestment' in equipment by the Ministry of Defence. The 23 SAS regiment is one of two Special Air Service reserve units and Major Morley was the most senior reservist officer in the SAS.



An MoD spokesman last night confirmed Major Morley's resignation, saying it was made for 'personal reasons'. But colleagues of the officer disclosed his growing fury at the continued use of the Snatch vehicles despite their obvious shortcomings.



The Land Rovers – which were initially designed for use against rioters in Northern Ireland – were nicknamed 'mobile coffins' by servicemen.



The Major criticised the MoD's failure to buy better equipment as 'cavalier at best, criminal at worst'.



A soldier who served with Major Morley said: 'We highlighted this issue, saying people are going to die and now they have died. The point of failure here lies squarely with the MoD.'



The Major's resignation will reignite the debate on the standard of equipment given to British troops. Snatch Land Rovers have been involved in 34 British deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq – one in eight of the total.



Coroners have repeatedly criticised the MoD for failing to supply vehicles which are resilient enough to protect troops from roadside bombs.



Major Morley's decision to quit follows resignations on similar grounds by Lt Col Stuart Tootal and Brigadier Ed Butler. It has also been reported that SAS reservists were aghast to hear that only Snatch vehicles were available when they were preparing to send a squadron of about 100 men to Helmand province.



Emails were sent to Whitehall planners in the MoD, protesting at the decision, but they were told to 'get on with it'.



In a statement the MoD said: 'The events of 17 June were a tragedy and our sympathies are with the families. Equipping our personnel is a clear priority and just this week we announced a £700million spend on more than 700 new and upgraded armoured vehicles.'

* Despite the setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan there has been a recent peak in public support for the Armed Forces, with a 12 per cent surge in recruits. In the 12 months to the end of June, 17,860 men and women joined the services – 2,250 more than the same period the previous year.

