BritishForcesNews report 09.08.2012. Their article is reproduced below the video:
{youtube}EFj31_roX5M{/youtube}
The Army has apologised for keeping body parts and tissue samples of 30 service personnel killed in action, without obtaining permission from their families.
The service is trying to confirm the identities of the personnel involved, so that those families affected can be told.
It says the breaches of procedure were discovered last month, and include a case from as far back as 2002.
The tissue samples have been kept at Bulford Camp by the Special Investigations Branch of the Royal Military Police, while the body parts have been retained at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
The use of such forensic evidence for military police investigations into operational deaths is standard practice. But keeping hold of such material without permission is not.
The Ministry of Defence told British Forces News it deeply regrets that this failure of procedure has occurred and apologises profoundly to all the families who are affected by this.
Telephone contact lines for designated next of kin only:
Mobile: 07771 704901 or +44 7771 704901 from outside UK
Landline: 01980 673707 or +44 1980 673707 from outside UK
