I and my party have been opposed to our country's involvement in the Iraq war from the very beginning.

I imagine my ultimate low point was, after taking part in the biggest protest march in our history against the war, how easily our views were ignored. Yet this week marked another shattering low point as we witnessed the appalling sale by service personnel of their stories for money.

It appears we have reached the stage when there is nothing that is not for sale. The apparent six-figure sum given to Leading Seaman Faye Turney by the Sun is a disgrace. Coming in the week two women soldiers were killed in action it is an affront to them, their friends and relatives and every soldier serving in Iraq.

From a services culture where men and women act under orders we have been catapulted into a celebrity culture which belittles our people and the harsh realities of the conflicts in which they serve. Clearly two inquiries are needed. The first to discover how one of our patrol boats could be so easily captured. The second to reveal how our servicemen were allowed to sell their stories amid the obvious distaste and opposition it would create.

(Coun) S Pajak.

Leader, Liberal Democrat Group.

Drove Road, Swindon