Soldiers living in rat-infested rooms are moved into shipping containers at Shropshire barracks
Soldiers living six to a room in rat-infested quarters at a Shropshire barracks have been moved into shipping containers, an MP has revealed.
The situation at Clive Barracks near Tern Hill, was raised with defence minister James Cartlidge by North Shropshire's Liberal Democrat MP, Helen Morgan.
Mrs Morgan revealed that soldiers had been moved into about 40 containers, which she said had been ‘kitted out like budget hotel accommodation’.
Responding, Mr Cartlidge said that he would look into the details of the situation with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which manages military accommodation.
It is not the first time Mrs Morgan has raised concerns over the standard of military accommodation in the county.
In February she highlighted issues for families at RAF Shawbury, including houses with damp and mould, poor insulation, leaks, pipes bursting in cold temperatures leaving families without running water, appointments being cancelled or unfulfilled with no notice, four to six-hour waits on hold to flag urgent repairs, and waits of a month or longer for repairs promised within days.
Raising the latest issues, Mrs Morgan said: "A constituent of mine who lives at Clive Barracks, at Tern Hill, in Shropshire, has reported that he lives in rat-infested accommodation, and sometimes with two to six soldiers living in the same room.
“As a result, shipping containers have been placed in the grounds there, around 40 at the end of August, kitted out like budget hotel accommodation for those soldiers to live in.
“Can the minister provide any reassurance warrants that somewhere appropriate for these service men to live in will be provided in the near future?”
Responding, Mr Cartlidge said: "I am obviously sorry to hear about that case. I’d ask her very much to write to me with the details of it. I will look into it with DIO.
"But I think the key thing is, wherever we're talking about, whichever specific barracks or base, if we're going to get on with the works, we need the money there.
"We've got that, we put in place the extra £400 million, and as set out in the Winter Plan, thousands of Homes Forces personnel will now benefit from that work.”
The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment.
