NEARLY a fifth of Colchester’s paratroopers cannot serve on the front line ahead of their expected return to Afghanistan this year.

Figures released by the Ministry of Defence show 241 soldiers in the town’s two battalions of the Parachute Regiment are unable to perform their full role on operations.

The majority of the figure is soldiers who are medically unfit, but it also includes compassionate or disciplinary cases and those aged under 18.

At full strength, each battalion should have 650 soldiers, but 131 soldiers from 2 Para and 110 from 3 Para were “not considered deployable or only deployable in a limited range of roles” in October.

With 1,008 paratroopers fit to serve, the two battalions are at 77.5 per cent strength ahead of their scheduled return to Afghan-istan this autumn. The MoD is yet to confirm the mission.

The information came out in response to a Parliamentary question from North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin, a member of the defence select committee.

He said: “These figures show the Army’s human capital is being depleted at an unsustainable rate and this is eroding readiness and the ability to react to other threats.

“Headlines focus on our heroes are killed in the line of duty, but these figures reveal a wider and unfunded cost of maintaining combat forces.

“The MoD does not get extra money to care for those who are rendered medically unfit for the front line, nor for the recruitment and training of their replacements.”

In total, 4,764 of the Army’s 22,987 infantry soldiers, nearly one qurter, cannot deploy.

Tom Bennett, MoD spokesman, said battalions sent on operations are reinforced with reservists or soldiers transferred from other units.

He added: “The infantry remains undermanned, but the situation is improving fast, due to a number of factors, including the introduction of exceptional action measures, financial incentives, improved marketing and the current economic situation.

“In the Armed Forces there are always some personnel who, as a result of medical condition or an injury, become temporarily or permanently unfit to undertake duties. All sick and injured personnel get first-class medical care and rehabilitation to give them the best chance of returning to active duty.”