Independent Gloucestershire Thursday, January 30, 2014 20p wheresold NEWS CARS JOBS SERVICES PROPERTY EVENTS
Owners overjoyed after stolen dogs are found
Senior soldier criticises futility of Afghan conlict
THE outgoing president of the RoyalBritish Legion in Gloucestershire has ques- tioned the futility of the war in Afghanistan. Major General Paul Steven-
involving
son told the RBL’s AGMin Quedgeley the 12-year con- flict nowcoming to an end had been the result of politi- cal failings. Likeprevious Afghan wars British troops
there had been no winners and the result had been to devastate the families of those whodied or were badly injured, he said. Maj Gen Stevenson, who
has been county RBL presi- dent for the last three years, told delegates at the meeting at Severn Vale School: “We are nowinthe final draw- down stage of the fifth Af- ghan War. “Who wonany of them? During this long 12-year con- flict there have been many acts of heroic bravery and examples of successful mili- tary tactics.However,you do notwin wars of this kind by military intervention but by political intervention and
dialogue.Asaresult of politi- cal failings over the last two decades the country nowhas
Policingbadgercull runs up a£1.7m bill
POLICING the controversial badger cull in Gloucester- shire has cost £1.7 million. Police and Crime Commis- sioner Martin Surlrevealed that Gloucestershire Police had planned for several sce- narios and the estimated figure came within the pa- rameters of what could rea- sonably have been expected. “I have been assured by the police that the sum was justi- fied,” said Mr Surl. “It was the cost of keeping
the peace in Gloucestershire during avery difficult time.” Mr Surladded that finan- cially the cost should not af- fect policing in Gloucester- shire. He said the police minister
has promised that central government will coverthe cost of any cull response.
The autumn badger cull aimed to kill at least 70 per cent of the badgers in west Gloucestershire and west Somerset, but ended without hitting their targets. Wildlife charity Care for
the Wild said the total cost of the cull, which ended with just over half of theplanned 5,000 badgers being killed, cost £7.3 million in total – £4,121 per badger –and it be- lievespolice costs were £2.6 million, farmers’ costs were £1.49 million and the cost to the government was £3.2 mil- lion. Thecharity’sDominicDyer,
said the government had delivered ‘one of the most disastrous and expensive wildlife culls in history’ car- ried out in an ‘outrageously sloppy manner’.
asignificant cohortofcriti- cally injured personnel, of grieving families whohave either lost lovedones or had imposed on them the respon- sibility for the long termwel- fare of injuredservicemen and women whohavesuf- fered the ill fortunes of war.” He said those whohave
been physically or mentally injured have had their lives made more bearable by the many charities set up to help them and paid tribute to the work they had done. The new president of RBL Gloucestershire is Air Vice Marshal Ian Corbitt.
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