British soldiers paid less than us? Quite right - our job's more dangerous, says traffic warden

He spoke out a day after Army chief General Sir Richard Dannatt expressed his disgust that traffic wardens have better salaries than soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan

General Dannatt's comments embarrassed Prime Minister Gordon Brown into promising that the Government would reward servicemen and women's 'great contribution'.

But traffic warden Alan Gooding, 44, said Sir Richard's comments were 'a load of rubbish' and claimed it was right that he earned more because people attack him and spit at him.

Mr Gooding, who served in the Army in Northern Ireland,said: 'Without a shadow of a doubt, being a traffic warden is more dangerous.

'Over the last 10 years I have been driven at, head-butted, spat at, punched and shoved.'

He told the Guardian: 'In the Army you always have back-up and support but with this you are out on the street for nine hours on your own. You don't know who is going to turn up to find you ticketing their car.'

General Dannatt said yesterday the Government must plough more money into improving pay and conditions if the armed forces are to be in a fit state to win conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

While a young infantry private earns earns a basic wage of £16,227, with a £3,000 bonus for serving overseas, a traffic warden earns more than £20,000 with overtime.

MoD insiders played down any rift between the Chief of the General Staff and ministers over pay, insisting there was agreement on the need for improvement. But his latest outburst will bolster growing concerns over the Government's treatment of the forces.

Last month, a leaked Army briefing paper warned that growing numbers of soldiers were close to the Government's definition of poverty.

Many were leaving because they were struggling to raise families on their Army salaries. Some young privates were having to borrow money to feed themselves at the end of the month.

Former officer James Moulton, 32, who served in Iraq with the Irish Guards, said: 'The men don't do it for the money or the acclaim and they don't gripe about the work. But they are making pretty big sacrifices, not just the risk of injury or death, but also in terms of impact on their family life.'

Traffic wardens earn more than newly qualified soldiers on active service

General Dannatt said he believed substantial pay rises were needed to maintain morale and to stop good- quality personnel from quitting. 'You look to see how much a traffic warden is paid and compare that against what a private soldier gets paid,' he said.

'I think you will find that an individual serviceman gets paid quite a lot less.'

The national average salary for a traffic warden including overtime is £20,526, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Army chief General Sir Richard Dannatt has demanded soldiers receive an increase in pay

A newly-trained private soldier facing intense combat in Afghanistan earns a salary of £16,227, while extra allowances take his pay to just below the average for a traffic warden. The MoD claims other benefits and military perks should be taken into account.

Almost 300 members of the armed forces have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sir Richard said: 'I'd like to see service pay go up above inflation for the next couple of years and keep going up if this level of commitment continues.

'Servicemen go on operations knowing they are putting their lives on the line. It is very hard to put a price on that.'

He told The Sun newspaper: 'Given the insecurity in the world today and what the armed forces are being asked to do in it, then a slightly increased share of the national wealth going to defence would be appropriate. I regard what we are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere as non discretionary  -  we have got to do those things.

'To make sure that we have armed services populated by motivated and well-trained people, we have got to look after their individual needs well enough.

'That means things like housing, pay, medical provision and general welfare facilities have got to be good. That's where I would like to see additional resources spent. To an extent that is happening  -  but I would like to see it happening faster.'

'Yes, sir: it's me, Private Jones... I had no idea traffic wardens earn so much.'

The Prime Minister responded by praising the 'huge contribution' the forces make to Britain's security.

'We will do everything in our power in the years to come to recognise the great individual contribution that is made by all the members of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force,' he added. Britain's top military chiefs have traditionally fought battles with politicians behind closed doors and avoided explicit criticism of Government policy.

But General Dannatt has spoken out on controversial issues, which has made him popular with his troops but led to strained relations with senior ministers.

The MoD pointed out that soldiers' pay has recently risen above inflation  -  including a 9 per cent boost last year for the most junior ranks. The Royal British Legion described Sir Richard as a 'brave soldier'.

Tory defence spokesman Liam Fox said: 'It is unprecedented for defence chiefs to speak out in this way. These comments come after over a decade of Labour neglect.

'It shows how serious the situation has become and how badly the Military Covenant (between the nation and its forces) has been broken.'