Gordon Brown has condemned reports that RAF personnel at a Cambridgeshire base were advised not to wear uniform in public for fear of verbal abuse.
He said armed forces members should be "encouraged to wear their uniform in public and have the respect and gratitude of the British people".
The decision not to wear uniform was taken by the station commander at RAF Wittering near Peterborough.
Defence minister Derek Twigg blamed "a tiny minority" for the abuse.
It has been claimed that verbal abuse has been directed at service personnel by people opposed to UK involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Cambridgeshire police said they did not know of any abuse reported in the city.
The guidance was issued in January 2007 advising personnel to wear civilian clothes in certain areas for fears of abuse. It followed a verbal incident in December 2006.
The city's Conservative MP, Stewart Jackson, said: "The police don't have records of any serious problems. My understanding is that it's a small number of incidents of verbal abuse."
The Mayor of Peterborough, Marion Todd, said the decision not to wear service uniforms was a "sad day for the city".
'Great shame'
Mr Twigg condemned the incidents of abuse "on the day we've got 184 members of the armed forces being honoured for their courage and bravery".
Tory leader David Cameron said police should come down "extremely hard" on people targeting members of the armed forces in the streets.
He said: "The overwhelming majority of the British people think what they do is extremely brave and professional and we're really proud of them."
A government review of the public's perception of the military is currently being carried out.
It has been suggested as part of the review that soldiers may be encouraged to wear their uniforms off-duty to boost their popularity.
Air Chief Marshall Sir Glenn Torpy, said: "Whatever people's views are about specific military operations, everyone should be able to recognise the bravery and professionalism of our Armed Forces and respect the difficult job they do.
"This is a very isolated incident. We have got to work now with the local authorities and the local police to make sure that we can, very rightly, wear our uniform."
Speaking on Thursday, Defence Secretary Des Browne said it was "a great shame that some individuals in this community don't respect our forces".
He added: "I hope that by working closely with Peterborough City Council and the local police, service personnel at RAF Wittering will soon be able to wear their uniforms freely about the town with the support of the local people."
RAF Wittering was established in 1916 and more than 2,000 servicemen and women are based at the station.
By the BBC.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
