Combat leads to drink abuse

Soldiers fighting in Afghanistan are more likely to become alcoholics, the Ministry of Defence said last night.

Research shows servicemen and women across the Army, RAF and Royal Navy are just as likely to turn to drink as the general population.

But figures suggest those who see action on the frontline will up their intake, with one in five suffering depression and anxiety.

Defence personnel minister Andrew Robathan said researchers studied alcohol dependency among troops, sailors and airmen sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.

He told MPs: “Some 13 per cent of respondents displayed evidence of alcohol misuse.”