Verbal abuse hard to reckon with

London: A fifth of soldiers have been verbally abused by strangers while wearing their uniform in public, a poll has found.

While more than half of servicemen and women have received messages of thanks and support in the past five years, nearly one in 20 has been met with violence or attempted violence because of their job.

The study, commissioned by Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft, also found that many said frequent changes of address necessitated by their job counted against them in credit checks. One in four had been refused a mortgage, loan or credit card in the past five years, while one in five had had trouble getting a mobile phone contract.

Consequences

Others revealed fears about life after leaving the forces. More than half worried that employers would not give them a chance, and more junior personnel often feared they would be starting their careers from scratch.

The research included a survey of more than 9,000 serving personnel, plus focus groups with members of the Army, RAF, Royal Navy and Royal Marines. US research revealed that two-thirds of the American public said they had personally thanked a member of the armed forces or could see themselves doing so, compared with just over a quarter of Britons.

Lord Ashcroft called for greater willingness among the public to thank those in uniform for their service.

He also said employers should consider actively recruiting those leaving the forces.