(UK) Soldier loses gun in toilet blunder

Rovi

From the Evening Standard, This is London website-

Soldier loses gun in toilet blunder
17 October 2005

A soldier's weapon has been missing for two days after it was left in a supermarket toilet during a military exercise, it has emerged.

An army captain put her waistband holster on top of the cistern in a disabled loo during an exercise on Saturday evening and then left it behind, the Sun reported.

The captain, who is reportedly based at barracks in Chicksands, Bedfordshire, soon realised her blunder and rushed back to get the pistol from the Sainsbury's store in Hitchin.

But the US-made Sig Sauer 9mm automatic had gone, along with 13 blanks also in the holster.

Hertfordshire police said that the loaded pistol had still not been found and could cause serious injury.

"So far the weapon has not been located and officers are currently conducting searches in the nearby area.

The weapon was loaded with 13 rounds of blank ammunition but if inappropriately used could cause serious injury," they said.

The Ministry of Defence refused to confirm any details but admitted the weapon had been lost.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm that a soldier on an authorised military exercise lost a weapon in the Hitchin area and local police are looking into the issue."

Anyone with information of the pistol's whereabouts is urged not to touch it but to contact police immediately on 0845 330 0222.

Hmmmmmmm.......
A "Sig Sauer 9mm"???
Could it possibly be a P-226, the 'most dangerous handgun in the world' as we were informed by one of the papers recently?
It's amazing that the Hitchin branch of Sainsbury's hasn't spontaneously combusted yet!


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Riggser

Or "highly powerful handgun" as the Evening Herald recently stated in regards to a P226 that was taken from a criminal recently. I like the way the press are firearms and ballistic experts because of course the more sinister looking the gun is the more damage it causes.

Rovi

Update from the BBC-

Gun left by soldier at shop found
A handgun that was accidentally left by an army captain in a supermarket toilet has been found, Hertfordshire Police said on Tuesday morning.

The unnamed soldier left her waistband holster and her Sig Sauer 9mm automatic pistol in the disabled toilet in a Sainsbury's at Hitchin on Saturday.

It was found by detectives in a postbox in Hertfordshire on Tuesday morning.

Police said a 20-year-old man from Ickleford arrested on suspicion of theft (by finding) will face no charge.

The gun had been mislaid by an officer from the Chicksands Defence Intelligence and Security Centre in Bedfordshire.

Investigation started

The weapon was lost after a military exercise in Hertfordshire on Saturday.

On Monday the Ministry of Defence said the soldier's fate would be decided after an inquiry.

"An investigation into the incident is ongoing. A decision will be taken at the end of the investigation as to what the most appropriate course of disciplinary action, if any, will be taken against the individual concerned," a spokesman said.

They refused to name the captain involved or identify which regiment she was with when she lost the gun.

Rovi

Another report from the BBC-

MoD investigates second lost gun
A search is under way for a second firearm lost within a week, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed.

The SA80 rifle went missing during an exercise by 14 Signals Regiment at Templeton airfield in Pembrokeshire.

That was suspended on Monday morning when the gun, which can fire 700 rounds a minute, was discovered missing.

On Tuesday, a handgun accidentally left by an army captain in a supermarket toilet in Hertfordshire was found by police.

The incident near Narberth was being investigated by the Royal Military Police's Special Investigation Branch, an MoD spokesman said.

"We take losses very seriously," he said.

"It is each soldier's responsibility to book their weapon in and out of the armoury," he said.

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Anyone want to head for the UK and we'll see what we can find?

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Meclor

What kind of official miltiary excerices go on in super market toilets ?

Bowl excercies?:eek:

civdef

Defence Intelligence and Security Centre

That probably tells what sort of exercise it was, together with the fact Sig pistols aren't on general issue to the British Army.

Clare gunner

Nor are SIGs made in America.Ala the Scum...er...Sun
There is somone who should be busted back down the ranks to private again!!!But becaues she is a woman and in these PC times,such things would be not tolerated:mad: God knows,she will be proably be promoted to full Col,so next time she lose an entire regiment somwhere.:rolleyes:
amazing how many Coppers and military top brass,not to mind Spooks lose vitally important things in the UK.Like sidearms, full auto H&Ks,national defence plans,and laptops with sensitive information on an almost weekly basis.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

civdef

This is not purely a UK problem, if I remember right, one of Charlie Haughey's Garda bodyguards left a revolver behind in the toilet at some tribunal or other...

Nor are SIGs made in America

Some are, for the US market only though I think.

oldzed

some sigs are made in the us, they have a manufacturing facility in New hampshire, new england , the live free or die state. been there and seen it , they dont make everything but do quite a bit including the granite 1911's

Babble

oldzed wrote:

some sigs are made in the us, they have a manufacturing facility in New hampshire, new england , the live free or die state. been there and seen it , they dont make everything but do quite a bit including the granite 1911's

My Sig p226 is the american one. But only the slide is made in the US the frame (and the rest?) is made in Germany still.

Its funny..... I have yet to lose it!

Rew

An irish cop did the same thing the first day od one of the various tribunials except nobody nicked it. There was a huge secuirty scar when the next guy in the the cubical reported it.