Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson demands urgent action to find home for SAS hero Bob Curry
More than 250,000 people have signed a petition calling for the veteran of the Who Dares Wins regiment to be found a home
DEFENCE Secretary Gavin Williamson has demanded urgent action to find a home for an SAS hero facing life on the streets.
He has ordered council chiefs to meet their commitments under the military covenant by finding Bob Curry somewhere to live now.
Mr Williamson stepped in after reading of the 64-year-old veteran’s plight in The Sun and declared: “Every hero deserves a home.”
In an angry letter to Herefordshire’s county council leader, he points out that officials should honour the law and make Bob’s case a top priority.
The minister’s intervention came as 250,000 people had signed a petition to find a home for the penniless hero.
Bob helped free 19 hostages in the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege but is facing bankruptcy after the Ministry of Defence pulled the funding on his business training ex-servicemen as locksmiths.
His problems deepened when he had to leave his partner’s home after they split two months ago and he is living in a B&B thanks to mates after the council failed to house him.
Yesterday Mr Williamson told The Sun on Sunday: “Every hero deserves a home and I was shocked to hear about Bob Curry.
“Like all veterans and memberso fhte armed forces, we owe him for his brave and loyal service to this country.
“His case needs to be treated as a high priority so a suitable home is found immediately.
“We expect all councils to support troops and veterans, and that they meet their commitments under the Armed Forces Covenant.
“I have written to the council and asked that more be done to help Mr Curry.”
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Ex-SAS man Andy McNAb teamed up with The Sun to launch an online petition calling for Bob to be found a permanent home.
Veterans minister Tobias Ellwood has also been in contact with the council, to demand an explanation for hisd homelessness.
He said: “We have sought reassurances that everything possible is being done to help Bob Curry find suitable accommodation.”