Canterbury veteran returns medal over NI Troubles probe

Labour's Rosie Duffield held up the medal from a Canterbury constituent in the Commons

A service medal awarded to an Army veteran has been held up in the Commons by his local MP, who was told to hand it back to the Prime Minister.

Tom Lynch, from Canterbury, Kent, said it was in protest at investigations against those who served during the Northern Ireland Troubles.

He said letters from solicitors and the military asking about events in the 1970s were tantamount to harassment.

A consultation on how the investigation could be carried out has closed.

The government's consultation paper, Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland's Past, was launched in May.

Mr Lynch served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and, along with other elderly former officers, has received letters informing him about investigations into unauthorised deaths and killings.

Tom Lynch served in Northern Ireland during the 1970s

"The Prime Minister can have my medal back," he said.

"It was given to me for services on behalf of Queen and country, and I don't think now I'm getting that service back.

"I went out, along with many others, put our lives on the line, did our bit, and now they're reneging on their promise to look after us veterans. It's really very sad."

Speaking during defence questions on Monday, Rosie Duffield, the Labour MP for Canterbury, said: "Please can we have every assurance that these investigations, whilst necessary, are being carried out in the most sensitive manner, especially for those veterans who are now suffering dementia and are in their 80s?"

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Armed forces minister Mark Lancaster said he had never seen an issue unite MPs across political parties in the way this issue had.

"The consultation has recently closed and I can reassure the House - speaking myself as a serviceman - how keen we are to act to address this issue.

"I'm sure that in due course there will be an announcement in the House."

On Tuesday, 150 Conservative MPs and peers delivered a letter to Downing Street calling on the government to abandon its plans for investigating past crimes in Northern Ireland and other military conflicts.

They said a proposal for a new Historical Investigations Unit would put service personnel at "an exceptional disadvantage".

The new unit is meant to take over the work of the Historical Enquiries Team and legacy work of Northern Ireland's police ombudsman that remains outstanding.