Mercian Regiment army unit likely to be cut

A major cull of the British Army was being announced today, with the former Staffordshire Regiment feared to be facing the axe.

The unit, now called The 3rd Batallion of The Mercian Regiment, is thought to be the most likely to go in a series of cuts being announced by the Government.

The Army is to be cut by 20,000 over the coming years.

Today Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said there would be "difficult" decisions ahead as whole units disappear.

There will be a greater use of the Territorial Army and private contractors will be key.

Mr Hammond said the UK's armed forces would need to increasingly operate with other nations in order to continue being able to provide the necessary fighting "teeth".

Under plans set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), the Army is to be reduced from 102,000 soldiers to 82,000 by 2020.

Mr Hammond said today: "A regular Army of 82,000 will have a different structure to one of 102,000. And some units inevitably will be lost or will merge."

The Mercian Regiment and Yorkshire Regiment are expected to lose a battalion of approximately 650 men.

A Mercian Regiment source said today: "The suggestion is that one of our battalions would be axed and 3 Mercian, based in Germany, is the most likely.

The source added: "This wouldn't mean 650 members of 3 Mercian being kicked out of the Army.

"There would be redundancies throughout the Mercian regiment and those remaining with 3 Mercian would migrate to the remaining battalions." The Mercian regiment is split into four battalions, with the Wolverhampton-based 4 Mercian operating as a Territorial Army unit.