Prince Harry’s old regiment and the Queen’s personal bodyguard have accumulated more drug busts than any other regiment.
More than 40 members of The Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards have tested positive for illegal drugs in the past eight months, according to a Freedom of Information request.
Among the illegal drugs used were cocaine and cannabis, with soldiers being caught while off duty in London and Windsor.
Members of The Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards have tested positive for illegal drugs in the past eight months according to a Freedom of Information request
The Household Cavalry, based at Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, take a strong stance against the use of illegal substances, with troops warned that anyone testing positive for such drugs will be dismissed.
A senior regimental source told the Daily Star that young soldiers are warned about taking illegal drugs on a night out.
The source told the paper: ‘Serving in the Household Cavalry is a privilege.
‘Any soldier who brings the name of our regiment into disrepute through drug taking will be dismissed.
‘There are no second chances in the Household Cavalry.’
Soldiers have been caught taking cocaine and cannabis while off duty in London and Windsor. The revelation comes just six months after four members from Prince Harry’s old regiment were caught snorting coke in a Windsor pub
The revelation comes just six months after four members from Prince Harry’s old regiment were caught snorting coke in a Wetherspoons pub in Windsor.
Two of the four tested positive and were kicked out of the Army and a further eight members tested positive for cocaine and other class A drugs a few weeks later.
The Foot Guards did not fair any better with more than 100 of its men, who guard Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, testing positive for cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy and steroids.
The Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards are not the only two regiments testing positive for illegal drugs.
In the past two years almost 2,000 service personnel troops were found to be taking illegal drugs, including members of the of the SAS, SBS, pilots and even sailors on board nuclear subs.
Alongside drug abuse, thousands of members of the Armed Forces are at high risk of alcohol related harm according to defence chiefs, with some some 114 being classified as ‘alcohol dependent’ in the past year.
Findings also show more than 64,000 servicemen and women are putting their lives are risk by consuming too much alcohol and another 3,000 have been advised to see their GP.