British Army plans to axe 800 Gurkhas

If it comes to cutting infantry battalions,the Gurkhas are now No 1 on the list. They were only saved from the axe in the last defence cuts because they were seen as being fantastic value, a defence source said.

Although they are very good soldiers,they are now no less expensive than any other unit. There are about 3,500 Gurkhas, he added.

Branded by pro-Gurkhas as madness plans,the consideration of scrapping the battalion comes after a successful campaign by the Daily Express and actress Joanna Lumley for veterans to get the right to live here.

They would be mad to do this. Thered be a huge outcry. The Army is disastrously overstretched and Gurkhas are better at staying the course. Very few drop out. Our campaign has not made them more expensive, said Peter Carroll of the Gurkha Justice Campaign.