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It is the longstanding policy of successive governments not to comment on the activity of the Special Forces.

UK Special Forces officers appear to have rejected every application from a former Afghan commando referred to them for sponsorship, despite the Afghan units having fought with the British on life-threatening missions against the Taliban.

There was particular frustration around UK Special Forces obstructing attempts by the RMP to obtain a server which held all of the SAS's operational paperwork.

"They scattered from the truck but Lewes lingered," says Ms Amonds-Windmill, who devotes a chapter to the incident in her book Gentleman Jim: The Wartime Story of a Founder of the SAS and Special Forces.

He agreed that there had been a "massive failure of leadership" by UK Special Forces.