The British Ministry of Defense has contacted thousands of former soldiers who failed drugs tests and asked them to return with an additional one-off payment of £10,000.
The British newspaper, the Mail on Sunday, reported that soldiers expelled following drug offences were being re-recruited by MoD officials, attracting them back with “golden hello” payments.
A spokesperson for the Ministry did confirm that payments are being offered to former soldiers, but only in some cases to specialist personnel.
The report said the troops could return to active duty at the same rank but did not specify that the payments were only available to personnel re-joining in specialist roles.
High-profile Falklands War veteran, Simon Weston, told the paper he was “truly appalled”, adding drugs are “incompatible with military life” and “soldiers should know that”.
He said: “That troops have been discharged for taking drugs can qualify for jobs which come with…