London - Disgraced British soldiers face hefty compensation payments, fines and even imprisonment after wrecking hotel rooms in Uruguay, it emerged last night.
Men from the Duke of Wellington's Regiment ran riot at the five-star Victoria Plaza Hotel in Montevideo in June. About 150 members of the regiment were diverted to the city while en route to the Falklands because of bad weather.
Some of the soldiers smashed bedroom furniture and fittings worth £6,000 in the hotel. The Ministry of Defence said the investigation into the incident by the Royal Military Police was now being studied by army officers and action would be taken "very shortly". Army sources said the soldiers involved face compensation payments, heavy fines and even imprisonment, although the case is unlikely to go as far as court-martial.
--(PA)