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A soldier with an elite Army Guards unit has been revealed to be an illegal immigrant who signed up under a false name.
The guardsman took part in Trooping the Colour in front of the Queen last month after joining the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, who are responsible for protecting the royal family.
Named only as Kapinga, the soldier, from an African Commonwealth country, signed up in November last year using forged documents.
He underwent training at Catterick garrison in North Yorkshire after passing security checks and had been assigned to sentry duties at Windsor Castle. The soldier was arrested by Hampshire police this week following a car crash, which revealed he had several aliases.
A senior military officer said: "This is a blunder of unparalleled proportions.
"For an illegal immigrant to gain membership of any Army regiment is unbelievable."
Reader views (22)
This is problem is this Labour government’s fault, because they have no creditable policy on immigrant. As per almost everything else about our country they have totally lost control. We no longer know who we have living here, what their history is (criminal or otherwise) or what their intentions are (criminal or otherwise.)
NuLabour have had 12 years to ruin this country. It’s too long for them to blame anyone else (any previous government) for the horrendous state of this country. All they have left to offer is plenty of spin. Please call an election!!!!
- Xtremely Worried, Britian (no longer Great), 27/07/2009 08:26
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so much for pv or positive vetting.
ridiculous.
- Simon, london, 25/07/2009 00:58
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there are many more people like this bloke people are too scared to challenge them
- Frank, tottenham london, 24/07/2009 19:36
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The report does not say what is to become of the man. Will he be deported?
Justice demands that he should be, and the question is will he be deported, job or no?
- Hugh, Middx, 24/07/2009 18:19
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To Kerry from Purley - Of course it's Labour's fault, you loony leftie's just can't see it, can you.
- Dee Jay, Fleet UK, 24/07/2009 17:19
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So much for background checks. But, put that trash bin out 5 minutes early...
- Trunk, US, 24/07/2009 17:16
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Frank, You become more moronic by the day! how in heavens name is this the fault of the labour party. What possible link can there be?
If anyone is to blame it is the Army for not checking or is it that in your febrile imagination all soldiers are labour party apparatchiks? I don't care if you are a deluded Tory supporter, there has always been a bunch of you to stink out our country, but try at least to have a coherent argument.
- Kerry, Purley, 24/07/2009 16:22
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erm....what on earth does this have to do with the Labour Government? So David Cameron will be personally checking potential guardsmen's papers??? Go join the BNP - or leave the country if you hate it so much, why not try surviving somewhere we're bombing or taking oil or minerals or sweatshop labour from. At least immigrants want to be here and want to work. Maybe our 'great' country is safer with people who actually choose to be here.
- Johnny Dundee, London, 24/07/2009 15:28
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Oh come on! There are always going to be exceptions to anything. There are always going to be people who slip throught the cracks. He was found out and dealt with, that was the important part. I would guess that there are others too, though not many - and they won't be sitting comfortably after this, because the military is certain to react to this POTENTIAL (not actual) security risk that's been exposed.
Don't make a meal out of a crumb-sized incident.
Oh, and that bit about "elite Army Guards unit"? If they are "elite", then every other unit in the army is too. Guarding the Queen is just part of their job, not a specialist qualification.
- Rogan, Irving, 24/07/2009 14:48
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Down the drain we go; well done Labour you've taken us down in just 12 years.
- Jules_London, london, 24/07/2009 14:11
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P Staker - please tell us which perfect country you will be moving to and how you intend making a contribution to it.
- Austen, London, 24/07/2009 14:06
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Well, the British people voted three times for the Tony and Gordon team and this is what they get. Even now, more than 6,000 people voted for Labour in Norwich. And 13,000 voted for Blair-Mark II, namely Cameron.
Oh dear.
- Charles, Bath, 24/07/2009 14:06
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So he had multiple ID Cards then.
Surely he was more secure than someone with just one?
- Terence Wright, crediton uk, 24/07/2009 14:00
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One caught,another two million still on the loose here in the UK.
- Dave, london, 24/07/2009 13:52
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A 'blunder of unparalled proportions' ? In fact it has happened before. In 1989 the Army recruited, after a long search, a medical specialist from a discipline that was in very short supply in the UK. So short that the salaries that they could command from the NHS far outstripped what the Army could pay. Finally, with great celebration, they found someone qualified who was willing to sign up. You've guesssed it; they were so happy that they forget to check his background. But did that matter ? He was qualified, willing to serve and passed the training. Sadly he had to go; bit of an own goal really.
- Peter Haldane, London, 24/07/2009 13:46
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A country is as good as the people who inhabit it, maybe the folk posting these comments should remember that when they use language like "second rate".
- Steve, London, UK., 24/07/2009 13:38
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Let´s get this into perpective, shall we? Alright, Kapinga is an illegal immigrant and somebody deserves to get their butt kicked for not checking his papers more thoroughly, but is their any evidence that he meant any harm to the Queen and the Royal Family? I don´t think so. If he had joined a terrorist group I could have understood what the flap is all about, but he didn´t.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 24/07/2009 13:25
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A second rate country on its way to the dogs courtesy of good old Tony and Gordon. I wonder if the 'simple postman' now in charge of the immigration policy knows what he is doing, get back on the round Alan !!!
- Nick Holland, glasgow, 24/07/2009 12:45
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Nothing surprises me in this tin pot country anymore, only 2 years till I like many others emigrate.
I think most of us are actually past caring about the UK anymore, people only have so much patience.
- P Staker, London, 24/07/2009 11:33
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There is no system except spin and spin and spin. Meanwhile for every million illegal immigrants as claimed by the government multiple by three or four or five because the government does not have the faintest idea as to the real numbers.
- Ralph, London, England, 24/07/2009 10:30
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How much easier for a competent terrorist to get close access to the Queen? With the massive incompetence this demonstrates, William Hill won't be taking bets on her safety.
- Phil Jones, London UK, 24/07/2009 10:29
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It beggars belief, our country safe in their hands?
Another system vulnerable to the minority-centric, politically-correct political culture of today's new communist party.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 24/07/2009 09:32
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