Royal Marines under fire from the military’s health and safety watchdog

British Royal Marines tally disconnected a chinook chopper arsenic they signifier landing portion drills. (Image: Getty Images)

Would-be Royal Marine Commandos could beryllium stopped from moving connected constrictive lanes successful Devon, owed to wellness and information fears.

The recruits going done the rigorous enactment process astatine Lymp­­stone, adjacent Exmouth, person completed runs and velocity marches connected its winding roads for decades.

But aft falling foul of the military’s wellness and information watchdog they could beryllium scaled back.

This is acceptable to punctual a reappraisal of however to support the precocious carnal standards cardinal to gaining a coveted greenish beret.

Senior officers astatine the Com­­mando Training Centre were issued a announcement of censure for “troop question connected nationalist roads”. Details person precocious been published successful the Defence Safety Authority’s 133-page yearly report.

Headed by Air Marshal Steve Shell, the authority’s relation is to show information regulations crossed the Armed Forces, arsenic good arsenic analyse accidents.

More than 700 Commando rookies are trained astatine Lympstone each year, wherever they implicit cardinal endurance runs including a nine-mile velocity march connected nationalist roads.

The country has been utilized for implicit 60 years for timed combat runs and “yomps”, successful which they march backmost to campy carrying dense packs and rifles. In 1 event, afloat laden trainees tally astir a two-mile battle people connected Woodbury Common, followed by a six-mile tally backmost to campy connected state roads – with the past 1 called “heartbreak lane”.

Several routes person already been changed to heighten unit information and debar slowing traffic. But instructors person present been told much escorts are needed. And if the upwind is foggy, the grooming indispensable halt.

Lorry operator Mick Smith, who regularly uses the roads, said: “It would assistance if determination were flashing lights oregon something. It’s not the Marines’ fault.”

But subject instructors accidental the information inspectors neglect to admit that grooming teams often person astatine slightest 3 information
vehicles.

A erstwhile teacher said: “We are surviving successful an property erstwhile hazard is not allowed.

“Recruits astatine Lymp­­stone bid for warfare and they person been moving down these lanes
for decades.”

A DSA root past nighttime said the Royal Marines had sent mitigation which was taken into account. They added: “However, we volition beryllium keeping a adjacent oculus and it’s harmless to accidental they are connected last notice.”

A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: “We instrumentality the wellness and payment of unit precise seriously, and instrumentality each imaginable precaution to guarantee their safety.”