Soldier suspected of selling grenades

Staffordshire Police raided Private Meredith's flat

A soldier has been arrested on suspicion of selling live hand grenades in a pub.

Officers from the Ministry of Defence Special Investigations Branch are now interviewing Private David Meredith following a raid on his home in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

The raid followed allegations that a new British Army L109 grenade was sold for £70 to an anonymous witness at the Weather Vane pub in Stoke city centre.

The 27-year-old, who is in the Staffordshire Regiment, was arrested on Tuesday followed an undercover operation by a national newspaper.

A spokeswoman for the MOD confirmed that Mr Meredith had been arrested by armed officers from the Royal Military Police.

But she added: "We cannot go into further details about the allegations because it is an ongoing investigation."

Mr Meredith was on home leave from his barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire, at the time of his arrest.