Soldier dies after ‘tank rolls over’ during military training exercise at Salisbury Plain

Police and emergency services descend on usually quiet village over fatal incident

(PA)

A soldier has died following an incident involving a tank during a military training exercise in Wiltshire, with reports suggesting that a vehicle rolled over in the activity.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and other specialist paramedics were called to the incident on a public byway in Enford, Wiltshire, shortly before midday on Friday.

Emergency services were seen and heard racing through the usually quiet village, which is about ten miles south of Devizes, following reports of a serious collision on the Salisbury Plain Training Area.

The local news website Wiltshire Today said on Friday that it understood a soldier, who was pronounced dead at the scene, suffered significant injuries after a tank rolled over in the exercise.

A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police did not comment on reports of a collision but they acknowledged that a training exercise had been underway, noting that there was a “military operation taking place” on the plain at the time.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said that they could only confirm that the soldier had died in the incident.

“It is with sadness that we can confirm the death of a soldier on Salisbury Plain Training Area,” they said.

“Wiltshire Police are investigating and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it sent two fire engines, from Pewsey and Ludgershall, and a heavy rescue unit from Trowbridge to the scene.

A Hazardous Area Response Team, including specialist paramedics, and several other South Western Ambulance Service vehicles were also seen responding to the incident.

Around a dozen police officers were understood to have been in attendance at the scene at the height of the response and the investigation was ongoing late on Friday, with spotlights erected near the scene of the fatality and two forensic vans parked nearby.

Additional reporting by agencies