THE FATHER of a technician who is serving at RAF Leuchars has described the base’s treatment of his son at a time of medical difficulties in the family as an “absolute disgrace”

The comment came yesterday from Leuchars man Alex McGregor, who himself retired from the RAF only a few weeks ago, in the light of a situation involving his son, Stuart.

Twenty-four-year-old Stuart is an aircraft technician with 43 Squadron, and he and his partner, Emma, who is also with the RAF, have two children aged 23 months and seven months.

Mr McGregor senior said yesterday he had been horrified over a recent series of events which began when Emma had to get compassionate leave to be with her father, who lives in Wales and who is having a potentially life-saving operation to combat cancer.

“My son remained behind at RAF Leuchars with the children, and they go to nursery school during the day so that he could look after them as normal. The management at his work were all aware of the situation.

“However, he was told on Thursday that he will have to go to RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall leaving at 1000 hours on Friday morning. He reminded them that his partner was on compassionate leave and asked about his children. He was bluntly told that he would have to find childcare.

“The outcome is that Stuart has been told to abandon his two children, both of them being under two years of age. I think the lack of compassion and care shown by the management is an absolute disgrace.

“During my time with the RAF I have seen hundreds of situations like this, and I have never known such a thing to happen.”

Mr McGregor said that Stuart has been so stressed by the situation that he had gone to the base medical officer, who had decided that he was not fit to travel yesterday, and that he could only work days.

“In spite of this he has been told that the RAF still wanted him to travel to Wales,” he said.

A spokesman at the Ministry of Defence in London said that service personnel are aware of the onus placed upon them to fulfil military requirements.

He said that if both partners in a relationship are in the service they should fully understand their responsibilities to make provision for childcare if they are both to be away at the same time.

It was also made clear, however, that the case is being revisited, and that a decision will be made by the base commander in due course.