Gun left by soldier at shop found

A handgun that was accidentally left by an army captain in a supermarket toilet has been found, Hertfordshire Police said on Tuesday morning.

The unnamed soldier left her waistband holster and her Sig Sauer 9mm automatic pistol in the disabled toilet in a Sainsbury's at Hitchin on Saturday.

It was found by detectives in a postbox in Hertfordshire on Tuesday morning.

Police said a 20-year-old man from Ickleford arrested on suspicion of theft (by finding) will face no charge.

The gun had been mislaid by an officer from the Chicksands Defence Intelligence and Security Centre in Bedfordshire.

Investigation started

The weapon was lost after a military exercise in Hertfordshire on Saturday.

On Monday the Ministry of Defence said the soldier's fate would be decided after an inquiry.

"An investigation into the incident is ongoing. A decision will be taken at the end of the investigation as to what the most appropriate course of disciplinary action, if any, will be taken against the individual concerned," a spokesman said.

They refused to name the captain involved or identify which regiment she was with when she lost the gun.