British people are being recruited by specialist firms to work as mercenaries overseas but the Government is doing nothing about it, according to Thurrock's Labour MP.
Andrew Mackinlay, who serves on the Government's foreign affairs committee, says he wants to see a ban on the recruiting of mercenaries in the United Kingdom.
Mercenaries are trained professional soldiers who fight for another country for money.
Mr Mackinlay said: "Our security and intelligence services rumbled the fact that one of those wretched companies was recruiting mercenaries in the United Kingdom to fight in the Ivory Coast and stir up trouble against our interests and the interests of the people of the Ivory Coast and the international community.
"I want all mercenary recruitment stopped. It should be outlawed in this country.
"But the Government has shown no enthusiasm to introduce regulation, either of the recruitment of mercenaries in the United Kingdom or of their operation from this country."
Published Thursday, April 10, 2003
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