HYNDBURN MP Greg Pope today welcomed a Government move to recognise the injustice meted out to young soldiers shot for desertion during the First World War.

Despite the fact that an official pardon has not been granted to 307 executed soldiers, 38 of whom served with Lancashire regiments, Mr Pope said he was satisfied with the move, which follows a year-long ministerial investigation.

Mr Pope, who has campaigned for more than five years to gain a pardon for the men, said: "The statement is an historic one which I welcome, acknowledging that wrongs were done to innocent people.

"I would have preferred to see a full pardon, but this goes a very long way towards that.

"I understand the difficulties in making an official pardon, especially when you consider that these events happened more than eighty years ago and many of the records are missing or incomplete. "Many of these men were suffering from what we recognise today as post-traumatic stress disorder.

"It was a very moving moment in the House of Commons, and the minister's speech was listened to in complete silence, which is quite rare."

Armed Forces Minister John Reid told MPs that the decision to shoot young men at dawn for desertion or cowardice during the war had been wrong, and acknowledged that many of the men were suffering from shell shock.

After a year-long investigation, Dr Reid decided to issue an informal pardon to the 307 victims in the 1914-18 conflict.

But he explained it would be impossible to issue individual judicial reprieves or a formal legal blanket pardon because of the poor records kept of summary courts martial during the war.

Dr Reid also announced he was scrapping the death penalty for mutiny in the armed forces.

Mr Pope welcomed that move and added: "I think this is a satisfactory solution which goes a long way to apologising for the horrendous wrongs done to innocent young men. Hopefully we can now draw a line under the matter."

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