Published: Saturday, 20th March, 2010 10:00am

Man who bought kit soldier attacks PM

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A BUSINESSMAN who says he was compelled to personally fund essential items for a soldier on active duty has hit out at the Prime Minister.

Seb Smith, says he was told by a soldier friend in the Household Cavalry, who was being deployed to Afghanistan, he was short of equipment and had to pay for it himself.

Concerned Mr Smith, owner of Castle PC in St Leonard's Road and the Windsor soldier in his 20s visited a military surplus shop in Camberley the day before he was due to fly out to Afghanistan to buy the items totalling £195.

The claim comes after Gordon Brown was embroiled in a fresh row following his evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry over the level of financial support given to soldiers.

Mr Smith said: "As an ordinary person from a military town I have had personal experience of the shortages that exist within the army. I was disgusted when I heard Gordon Brown claiming that he had given the army enough money, when my own experience tells me this just isn't true."

The pair purchased items including a desert hat, leg mounted ammunition pouch, commando knife and gloves, alongside other soldiers leaving for Afghanistan.

Mr Smith is now writing to the defence minister to highlight the problem.

He added: "I was very proud to be able to help out a soldier but at the same time it worries me that people are putting their lives at risk without proper kit to do the job. I just wonder how many other soldiers ended up going to war without the equipment they needed."

A spokesman for the MOD said: "They get all the equipment they are going to need out there. There will be lots of evidence in support of this.

"A lot of guys like to add a few books and whistles and customise there kits. I don't think there is any kind of compulsion for people to go out and buy there own kits."