THE Army has apologised after a paratrooper who lost three limbs in Afghanistan was bullied while working at RAF Brize Norton.

After a three-day hearing, a panel made up of senior Army officers upheld Tom Neathway’s complaint that he was bullied by an officer.

Mr Neathway, who has since left the Army, was not expected to survive when explosives hidden under a sandbag blew up while he was on patrol in Helmand Province in July 2008.

His left arm was amputated at Camp Bastion before he was flown back to the UK, where both his legs were removed above the knee.

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Despite his injuries he returned to work at the Parachute Training Support Unit at Brize Norton but claimed he suffered harrassment while at the Carterton base in 2011.

Mr Neathway, 30, who served in the Parachute Regiment for 13 years, alleged he was told by his sergeant major, that he was “not much of a paratrooper any more” after sustaining his injuries.

Mr Neathway alleged he was called at all hours and staff questioned him over what he was doing. He also said he was forced to wear uniform which was impractical given his artificial legs and meant he kept falling over.

In 2012 after an initial Army inquiry into the alleged abuse, the Sergeant Major was censured by Army bosses.

A brigadier was appointed to review Cpl Neathway’s abuse allegations.

He cleared the Seargeant Major, branded the witnesses who supported Cpl Neathway ‘liars’ and questioned the integrity of evidence used by the disabled soldier.

Mr Neathway fought back and persuaded top brass to reconsider the decision to clear the Sergeant Major. The brigadier later resigned from his job.

A behind-closed-doors hearing at British Army HQ in Andover, was held in June and presided over by two brigadiers and a civilian. The findings were only made public yesterday.

Army spokesman Sharna Roberts said: “The panel, on behalf of the Defence Council, has formally apologised to ex-Cpl Neathway and has made recommendations for the chain of command to consider.”

Lynn Little, the mayor of Carterton, met Mr Neathway last year before he left the town. She said: “I am pleased that there is an outcome for him and he can move on with his life but I am very sad that he has had to leave Carterton.

“He was such an inspirational young man.”

Mr Neathway, who lives in Crowle, Worcestershire, has since retrained as a gamekeeper, took part in the Olympic torch relay in 2012, starred in the BBC series ‘Wounded’ and took part in the Dakar Rally.

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