Soldiers in the UK for treatment

Soldiers in the UK for treatment

Three soldiers who were injured in the war with Iraq are being treated in hospitals in Essex.

The soldiers arrived at Stansted Airport in an RAF VC-10 at 1140 GMT on Wednesday.

Three ambulances - staffed with paramedics, nurses, and a specialist doctor - met the patients, who were then taken to two hospitals.

Two of the soldiers were taken to Broomfield Hospital at Chelmsford and a third was transported to the Princess Alexandra Hospital at Harlow.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told BBC Look East the soldiers were "all very seriously ill" and said their families were with them in hospital.

There is no indication that the injured soldiers live in Essex or were posted to Colchester Garrison.

The NHS made plans before the war to distribute casualties to hospitals around Britain to ensure no single trust is overwhelmed.