PARAS FACING BOOT OVER DRUGS

Five members of the Parachute Regiment were today facing the sack after they
tested positive for drugs.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed the men tested positive for cannabis and
cocaine as part of the forces' compulsory drug testing programme.

The findings come only weeks after a similar swoop caught seven other men in
the regiment.

A spokesman for the MoD said the cases would be looked at individually but
usually members of the armed forces who tested positive for drug abuse were
sacked.

He said: "The bottom line is that there is zero tolerance of drug abuse in
the services and we are extremely proud of our compulsory drug testing
programme.

"This programme exists only in the forces and nowhere else in UK society.
You have to bear in mind that thousands are tested every year and less than
1% prove to be positive."

The Sun reported today that the latest swoop was ordered by Lieutenant
Colonel Paul Gibson, commanding officer of 1 Para.

His 600-strong battalion, motto 'Ready For Anything', had expected to wait a
year or more before the next random test, it was reported.

In a statement to the newspaper, he said: "Drug misuse is unacceptable in
the Army. Offenders will normally be removed.

"The Parachute Regiment demands, and gets, high standards from its soldiers
which are not compatible with drug misuse.

"Under no circumstances will drug use be tolerated by this unit which spends
long periods at high operational readiness and has an excellent operational
track record to maintain."

One of the troops, based at Aldershot in Hampshire, had traces of cocaine
and the other four had used cannabis.

1 Para were at the forefront of the British Army's contribution to K-FOR,
the Nato-led force which led the liberation of Kosovo last year.

Drugs Tsar Keith Hellawell said he welcomed the regiment's clampdown on
drugs.

"I welcome the decisive action taken by the Army to stamp out the misuse of
drugs wherever it is found.

"It shows the Army's policy of using compulsory drugs testing to root out
this problem isn't just a paper exercise but that they really mean
business."