UK soldiers facing Cyprus charges

The soldiers were arrested after an incident in the resort of Ayia Napa

Nine British soldiers have been charged after a bar brawl in Ayia Napa in Cyprus in the early hours of Saturday.

They have been charged with offences ranging from assault to GBH, which carries a maximum seven-year sentence.

Ten men are alleged to have got into a fight which spilled into the resort's Bedrock Inn and left three soldiers and two Greek Cypriots injured.

The arrested soldiers were serving with 2 Royal Regiment of Fusiliers based at Dhekelia garrison.

Inquiries continuing

According to the owner of the bar, the men started smashing up furniture and breaking bottles. He said when he and a friend tried to intervene they were also attacked.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We can confirm there was an incident on Friday night in the Cypriot town of Ayia Napa involving a number of British forces.

"We can now confirm that nine soldiers serving with 2 Royal Regiment of Fusiliers have been charged with a variety of offences and inquiries into the incident are continuing.

"The Military Police continue to work closely with the local police as part of this ongoing investigation."

Out of bounds

It is thought the soldiers had just been paid and were out celebrating the end of their tour of duty. Some of those involved are thought to have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

There is a history going back several decades of drunken violence breaking out among soldiers on leave.

The area where the fight broke out is supposed to be strictly out of bounds to British servicemen.

One of the soldiers in the bar needed hospital treatment for a fractured skull.

The men are likely to face disciplinary measures from within the Army in addition to the charges which have already been brought against them by the Cypriot police.

Some 3,650 British personnel and civilian workers are based in Cyprus at military bases on the Mediterranean island.