Legion demands a proper duty of care’

MEMBERS of the Royston branch of the Royal British Legion want armed service personnel to receive a proper level of care.

The move comes just over a week before this year's Remembrance Day parade.

They will be urging Royston's MP Oliver Heald to support a national campaign calling for improvements in care and compensation for service personnel.

Royston Remembrance Day parade director Chris Murphy told The Crow that it was "ridiculous" that a typist could receive thousands of pounds for repetitive strain injuries, but service personnel "putting their lives at risk" get much less.

"This is not something that will be a headline one week and then simply disappear," he said.

"We want a proper, serious debate in Parliament," he said. "It is, after all, the professional service people who are carrying out the orders of the government of the day."

Mr Murphy, whose 25-year-old brother-in-law is serving with the Coldstream Guards in Afghanistan, said: "Years ago people would have died in battle, but because of medical advances they survive, but often have horrendous injuries."

These are the people which are the essence of the national campaign: those who need proper compensation and long-term care, he said.

"We do have a duty of care to those who are putting their lives on the line," he said.

Mr Murphy continued that Remembrance Sunday was still important.

"It's vital we remember those who have given their lives in the past, and at the same time are still doing so today," he said.

- A short service will be held at the American Memorial in Priory Memorial Gardens on Sunday, November 11 at 9am, and the Remembrance Day parade will be at the Royston war memorial at 10.45am.

The parade will be led by the Minden Band from Bassingbourn Barracks. It was unavailable last year due to a tour of duty in Germany.