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Dismay as crew told they can sell stories Emma Henry The 15 British service personnel held captive in Iran have been given official permission to cash in on their 13-day ordeal by selling their stories to the media. The Ministry of Defence said it had taken the unusual decision because of the "exceptional circumstances" surrounding their situation. It means that the eight Royal Navy sailors and seven Royal Marines can now look forward to five or six-figure payouts. The MoD said they attracted similar intense media interest as someone who had won the Victoria Cross - the military's highest award for gallantry in the face of enemy fire. "Serving personnel are not allowed to enter into financial arrangements with media organisations. However, in exceptional circumstances such as the award of a Victoria Cross or events such as those in recent days, permission can be granted by commanding officers and the MoD," the statement said. The Sunday Telegraph reported today that Faye Turney, the Leading Seaman who was paraded on Iranian television during her captivity, is understood to have agreed a lucrative deal with ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald for a special programme to be broadcast tomorrow evening. It is thought the deal, which is thought to be in excess of £100,000, will also involve an interview with a tabloid newspaper. A source at the MoD would say only that it involved a "life-changing sum". However, one of the Royal Navy personnel held captive by Iran said today that if he made any money out of his story it would go to charity. Lieutenant Felix Carman, who has returned home to his family in Gower, Swansea, south Wales, on compassionate leave, told BBC News Online: "I am not interested in making money out of this. My main aim is to tell the story. "There's some people who might be making money, but that's an individual's decision, that's very private, but that's not something that myself or many of the others will do." He added: "I'd happily do it for free. But if there is money on offer then it would probably go to charity." The disclosure of the deals has already caused critisism from other families who have lost loved ones in the line of military duty. Mike Aston, whose 30-year-old son Corporal Russell Aston was one of six military policemen killed by a mob in Majar al-Kabir, Iraq, in June 2003, said he was "absolutely amazed" by the Ministry of Defence's decision. "Let's put it this way, regarding my son's death - and it was a very high profile case - I can put my hand on my heart and say that I've never sought or made a penny out of it in any way, shape or form. "I think to actually sell (my) story it would besmirch my son's memory." He added: "I really think this whole thing has been shameful and this just compounds it by going for the money." Rose Gentle, whose son 19-year-old Fusilier Gordon Gentle was killed in Basra in June 2004, told the Sunday Times: "This is wrong and I don't think it should be allowed by the MoD. "None of the parents who have lost loved ones in Iraq have sold their stories." Colonel Bob Stewart, former first British UN Commander in Bosnia, said that the idea made him "sick". "They (The Ministry of Defence) would say it's a pragmatic decision because actually those stories are going to come out - I understand that, it's just it makes me a bit sick," he said. William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, said that the Conservatives would be raising the issue in the Commons when Parliament returns after the Easter break. "Our armed forces are, I think, the most respected institutions in the country pretty much, and they deserve to be after the job they have done in very difficult circumstances in Iraq and in Afghanistan," he told Sky News's Sunday Live. "But if, whenever people have been in a difficult situation, they are going to be allowed to sell their story quickly after that, then I think we are going to lose steadily that dignity and respect for our Armed Forces. " The Ministry of Defence really need to weigh that very carefully." Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said: "One of the great things about our Armed Forces is their professionalism and dignity. "Many people who shared the anxiety of the hostages' abduction will feel that selling their stories is somewhat undignified and falls below the very high standards we have come to expect from our servicemen and women," he said. Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey said: "I sincerely hope this will not backfire into a loss of public sympathy for the service personnel. "The MoD would be well advised to take a fresh look at the rules and consider whether they need revising in the light of this experience." It is understood that the decision to allow the personnel to sell their stories was taken so that the release of information could be handled in a "controlled way", with the help and support of MoD advisers. The Sunday Times reported that the Marines had decided to pool their money, giving 10 per cent to their service benevolent fund, while the sailors were expected to keep theirs individually. ---------------------------------------------------
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