British troops injured by civilians could claim compensation

The government has updated its compensation scheme to enable soldiers injured by those who are not considered enemy combatants to make claims.

The revision was made to take account of the "shift in the situation" British soldiers now find themselves in.

Soldiers will be able to claim between �1,000 and �500,000.

About 40 cases are already pending, but it is thought many more claims could made once the government's position is more widely known.

Soldiers injured while dealing with riots or those struck by stones thrown by youths could be among those eligible for compensation.

Updated thinking

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said a compensation scheme for troops injured in "civilian" situations - such as an off-duty fight - had been in place for 27 years.

But he said the government had decided to extend the scheme to soldiers injured while in combat by criminals and not by a recognised enemy.

"We recognise that not everyone who might attack service personnel in Iraq is an insurgent," he said.

He added: "In the past we wouldn't have considered it. What we are trying to do is update our thinking on it.

"If you are engaged in deliberate operations against an enemy and if a roadside bomb injures you it's hard to see how anyone could claim.

"But we now recognise that the situation in Basra has shifted. Not everyone attacking us is an enemy, they might be angry locals."