Wrekin MP, Mark Pritchard, and Brecon and Radnorshire MP, Chris Davies, today call for an “Independent Inquiry’ into the circumstances leading up to the discharge of the former soldier and Falkland’s War veteran, Gus Hales, who claims he was poorly treated by Combat Stress the national veteran’s charity and has been on hunger strike outside one of the charity’s residential facilities.

Mr Pritchard said: “I support Mr Hales in his quest for an independent inquiry. I hope that Combat Stress and the Ministry of Defence will now work quickly and jointly to make this a reality”.

Mr Davies said: “It is clear that Gus was not given the care he quite rightly expected. It is now vital that this wrong is put right. An independent inquiry will help in ensuring that those mistakes that were made do not happen to other veterans in the future”.

The MPs have written to Sue Freeth, Chief Executive of Combat Stress, and Tobias Ellwood MP, the Veteran’s Minister, asking for an independent inquiry to be set up as soon as possible to look into the failures in the care of Mr Hales.

The MPs have also jointly written to the Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission asking the CQC to undertake the Inquiry.