Jailed gay soldier's relief after cap badge return

Steve Close, 61, was dismissed and labelled a sex offender after he kissed a fellow serviceman

A soldier who was court martialled and jailed for kissing a serviceman in the 1980s has said being among the first gay UK veterans to have their ceremonial cap badges returned has given him "closure".

Former private Steve Close, 61, spent six months in an Army jail and was placed on the sex offenders register after the kiss at a barracks in Berlin in 1983.

Restoring cap badges to discharged service personnel was among recommendations made by the government-commissioned LGBTQ independent veterans review last year.

Mr Close, from Salford, Greater Manchester, will receive his badge in a ceremony on Monday at his regimental headquarters in London.

Steve Close served in the Second Battalion, Royal Fusiliers

Mr Close, who served in the Second Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, said: "I am looking forward to wearing my cap badge next Remembrance Sunday with pride. For years I was too ashamed to attend any ceremonies."

Homosexual relationships were banned in the armed forces until 2000 and any serving personel found to be gay could be jailed and sacked.

Mr Close's conviction by an Army court for gross indecency was pardoned in 2013 - the same year as computer pioneer and code-breaker Alan Turing. The changes came after years of campaigning.

"I have had to fight a long time for this," the former serviceman told BBC North West Tonight.

"My brother was in the Army and kept asking me to go to regimental reunions, but it was too painful."

He signed up at the age of 17, after being was attracted by the idea of life in the military. But he admitted the move was also because "I was confused about my sexuality and thought it might help me".

Mr Close was serving in Berlin when the incident led to him being court martialled

He said he tried to avoid one soldier he found attractive until the pair went out with a group of friends and they ended up together back at the barracks after most of the group had gone home.

The pair found a connection and kissed while they thought one of their colleagues was asleep in the room.

"He wasn't asleep and went straight to the guardhouse to report us," Mr Close said.

Both men were court martialled, jailed and then dismissed.

The incident also left Mr Close with the shame of being labelled a sex offender and placed on the sex offenders register.

"It meant I could not work with children or join the police or fire service," he said.

"I worked in some jobs where I was sacked without being able to explain what happened when they discovered my Army conviction."

'Move on'

Now, fully employed as a caretaker with a housing association, he said feels he can finally move on with his life.

"This has brought real closure," he said.

More than a thousand veterans gave testimony to last year's review, which was led by the UK's first openly gay judge, Lord Etherton.

Many described how they had been bullied, physically and sexually assaulted, thrown out of the military and often left without income or pensions.