Former police officers told of their disgust last night over an attempt to recruit them to investigate British soldiers over alleged abuses in Iraq.

Their National Association of Retired Police Officers (Narpo) on Thursday circulated a job advert seeking specialists to undertake criminal investigations into war veterans.

It was placed at the request of Red Snapper Group, a private recruitment company, that is paid £5 million a year to provide staff to the Government unit investigating incidents going back as long as 13 years.