US air crew 'in web drug video'

Mildenhall is a major base for the US air force

A video allegedly showing Suffolk-based US air crews taking drugs and drinking heavily has been put on the internet.

The footage was put on YouTube by a local man who said it was given to him by an airman leaving the US airbase at RAF Mildenhall.

The edited footage shows dormitories, apparently at the airbase, and features drinking, dancing, sword play and an airman snorting a line of white powder.

The US Air Force confirmed one airman featured is based at RAF Mildenhall.

The air force, which said it is making inquiries into the video, said the airman appearing to "ingest an illegal substance" had been identified as someone from the base.

'Detection programme'

The man who was given the footage wished to remain anonymous.

He told the BBC: "I rented a property to a US military officer, who has now been deployed out of the country, and upon leaving he gave me a disc which he thought might be of interest to myself.

"Once I'd viewed the disc I was absolutely horrified at what was going on.

"YouTube is a good portal to be able to show these type of things and I thought: 'Well, its in the public interest', so that's why I did what I did."

A statement from the airbase said: "The US Air Force does not tolerate illegal activity and has mechanisms in place to address illegal activity through the military judicial system."

It said the air force maintained a "robust drug detection programme".

"Over the past three years at RAF Mildenhall, we have had two convictions of active duty members for illegal drugs use," said Lt Col Mark Allison, staff judge advocate.

"The urinalysis programme is a strong deterrent, as any potential drug user never knows when they may be ordered to provide a sample."

The US airbase made the news over the last week when it emerged that emails from the air force, some including presidential flight plans, were mistakenly sent to town tourism website mildenhall.com