TWO of the Queen’s senior guardsmen are being kicked out of the Army after testing positive for cocaine. The Coldstream Guards sergeants were caught in a targeted drugs test and given their marching orders by commanding officer Lt Col David Marsham, a viscount pal of Prince William. One of the men was named as Sgt […]
TWO of the Queen’s senior guardsmen are being kicked out of the Army after testing positive for cocaine.
The Coldstream Guards sergeants were caught in a targeted drugs test and given their marching orders by commanding officer Lt Col David Marsham, a viscount pal of Prince William.
One of the men was named as Sgt Carl Mortimer, a decorated veteran of the war in Afghanistan.
The second soldier was a Lance Sergeant, whose rank is the equivalent of corporal in other regiments.
A source said: “These are the guys who are supposed to set an example to the junior ranks.”
The incident is the latest scandal to rock the regiment, founded in 1650 and said to be the oldest in continuous service in the British Army.
Last month, two of its soldiers were arrested by the Flying Squad on suspicion of stealing ammunition.
Both Sgt Mortimer and his colleague were responsible for guarding the Queen at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
They were caught in a disciplinary crackdown at the regiment’s barracks in Windsor.
The source said: “This was an intelligence-led, targeted test to root out unacceptable behaviour and send a very clear message to the rest of the battalion. The bosses got wind there was cocaine in the sergeant’s mess, so they ordered a compulsory drugs test.”
The Army confirmed there had been an incident at the barracks.
It added: “The Army does not tolerate drug abuse within its ranks and any Army personnel caught taking drugs can expect to be discharged.”
In 2018, Charanpreet Singh Lall, the first Sikh guardsman to wear a turban instead of a bearskin at the Trooping of the Colour, was caught taking cocaine.
And in July, Coldstream Guardsman Jack Prescott was arrested after police found nine suspected bags of Class A drugs in his belongings in Wellington Barracks in London.
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