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Sale of sailor's story 'a mistake'

The decision to allow kidnapped Shropshire sailor Faye Turney to sell her story was a "serious mistake", according to a parliamentary committee. The decision to allow kidnapped Shropshire sailor Faye Turney to sell her story was a "serious mistake", according to a parliamentary committee. Leading Seaman Turney attracted widespread criticism after she sold her story to a national newspaper upon being released by her Iranian captors this year. The former Meole Brace School pupil, whose parents still live in Shrewsbury, also appeared on ITV's Tonight with Sir Trevor McDonald after being the only woman in a group of 15 Royal Navy sailors to be held hostage for 13 days by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. But the Commons Defence Committee today said there had been "a catalogue of serious mistakes" which led to the 15 sailors and Royal Marines being given the go-ahead to sell their stories. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star

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Fifteen British sailors and Marines - including Shropshire woman Faye Turney - who were seized by Iranian forces, were in internationally disputed waters and not in Iraqi territory at the time, according to a Ministry of Defence briefing.
Fifteen British sailors and Marines - including Shropshire woman Faye Turney - who were seized by Iranian forces, were in internationally disputed waters and not in Iraqi territory at the time, according to a Ministry of Defence briefing.

Leading Seaman Turney attracted widespread criticism after she sold her story to a national newspaper upon being released by her Iranian captors this year.

The former Meole Brace School pupil, whose parents still live in Shrewsbury, also appeared on ITV's Tonight with Sir Trevor McDonald after being the only woman in a group of 15 Royal Navy sailors to be held hostage for 13 days by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

Mrs Turney used the interviews to declare her ambition to go back to active service and that she would not let the traumatic experience destroy her career.

Sailor Arthur Bachelor was meanwhile widely ridiculed after he admitted in a national newspaper that he had cried himself to sleep after the Iranians took his iPod and called him Mr Bean.

But the Commons Defence Committee today said there had been "a catalogue of serious mistakes" which led to the 15 sailors and Royal Marines being given the go-ahead to sell their stories.

MPs said the failure to take disciplinary action against anyone involved in the decision to allow any of the hostages to sell their stories to the media was "unacceptable".

The committee said Defence Secretary Des Browne's apology to the House of Commons was not enough. A report says: "It is clear that the decision to allow the service personnel to sell their stories was a serious mistake and deeply damaging to the reputation of the Royal Navy."