Bayonets, ammunition… and Viagra: what’s been stolen from MoD

Since 2007 alleged thefts have totalled more than £7m at the Ministry of Defence, and include some surprising items

Nearly £6,000 worth of Viagra and 100 bayonets are among millions of pounds worth of military stock stolen from the Ministry of Defence since 2007, it has been reported.

Figures released by the MoD show alleged thefts have totalled more than £7m over the past seven years.

The figures were made public by the MoD in response to a written parliamentary question from Tory MP Nick de Bois.

The Times reported that the stolen items include £5,800 worth of anti-impotence Viagra pills, also used for conditions including blood pressure, and equipment from nuclear submarines from RAF Marham in Norfolk.

In the past year, 100 bayonets, thousands of rounds of live and blank ammunition, a Bedford truck and an industrial washing machine have all been taken from MoD sites.

Metal thieves have also stolen lead flashing and roofing, copper piping, electrical cables and radiators, as well as a £25,000 silver statue from the Household Cavalry barracks in Knightsbridge and £7,000 worth of silver cutlery from Redford Cavalry and Infantry barracks near Edinburgh.

Defence minister Andrew Murrison said: “The Ministry of Defence takes detecting and deterring fraud and theft seriously and set up a new counter-fraud and loss department last year to improve the way fraud and theft is managed across defence, the aim being to minimise the losses from the defence budget from fraud, misappropriation and theft and thereby maximise the amount spent on our armed forces.”

In 2009-2010 nearly £2.5m worth of equipment was stolen compared to £816,906 in 2012-2013.

Since April 2013, £572,549 of MoD property is believed to have been lost to thieves.