SAS website taken down

An SAS soldier on patrol in the jungles of Borneo

The Ministry of Defence has described as an error a website dedicated to attracting recruits to the Territorial Army branch of the super-secret SAS.

The site has been removed permanently "for security reasons", the MoD said.

It was set up to look for volunteers for the 21 Special Air Service Regiment (Reserves), based in London, which is part of the crack SAS force.

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "It is our policy not to discuss the SAS at all and this is not in line with that.

"It has been removed permanently. It was a mistake."

"Who Dares Wins": SAS motto

The website had shown SAS soldiers in action with their identities protected and visitors to the site were greeted with the message: "Special Forces - A Unique Challenge."

It was accessible through a site which features dozens of other volunteer reserve forces units.

About a third of the UK's armed forces are provided by the volunteer reserve forces who are part-time members of the active army, navy or air force.

The website is the latest piece of unwelcome publicity for the regiment, whose operations have been exposed in several books by former members.

Earlier this month, the MoD failed to block a new book by a former SAS member detailing a botched mission against Iraq during the Gulf War.

The book will be published in New Zealand, where the former soldier, Mike Coburn, was born.

He was part of an SAS patrol dropped into the clutches of Iraqi forces during a bungled mission behind enemy lines.