MoD slammed for spending £2.5m on new flags to 'improve morale'

Defence chiefs have come under fire for spending £2.5 million on new flags while troops are fighting abroad with outdated and inadequate equipment.

The Ministry of Defence says old and worn flags give off the wrong impression and are bad for morale.

But senior soldiers, families of serving troops and opposition MPs questioned the MoD's prorities, arguing that the money could be better spent on the front line.

The MoD has embarked on a four-year programme to replace 50,000 flags for the Army , Royal Navy, RAF, and Royal Marines.

Earlier this month, four troops were killed in action in Afghanistan, including the Army's first female fatality in the campaign, while riding in a Snatch Land Rover, a type of vehicle which has been harshly criticised for its lack of protection against bombs and mines.

The mother of soldier Gordon Gentle, 19, who was killed in Iraq in 2004 after his vehicle was destroyed by a bomb, said: 'This money would be far better spent on protecting the troops from harm and not leaving them in lightly armoured Land Rover.'

Tory MP and former infantry officer Patrick Mercer said: 'If you are going to have a flag flying then you want it to be clean.

'The whole point of having a flag is for it to be a symbol to everyone and if it's scruffy or absent then it's not good.

'But it seems an awful lot of money for what is after all something at the luxury end of military spending.'

Rose Gentle with her son Gordon who was killed in Basra in June 2004

Colonel Stuart Crawford, a former tank commander, said: 'I could think of a lot of better ways to use this money.

'I know that it won't buy very many Eurofighters or even bits of Eurofighters. But all the spending money on things like this all adds up and the Ministry of Defence is notoriously profligate when it comes to taxpayers' money.

'Is £2.5m spent on flags really appropriate when we have our armed forces fighting two wars?'

The contract has been awarded to Zephyr Racing Pennants of Kettering, Northants,

According to the company, a typical Union Flag for use by the military, which measures 90cm by 180cm, will cost about £34.95.

Explaining the contract, an MoD spokeswoman said: 'This contract is for the replacement of flags in all the armed forces at all bases, including on ships, over the next four years.

'They do get worn out over time and they do need replacement. We do have an awful lot of flags and you don't want them to look tatty. It's bad for morale.'