I KNOW I am not alone in being absolutely disgusted by the decision by a misguided Ministry of Defence (MoD) to allow the 15 sailors and marines to profit financially by their ordeal.

When I think of people like Terry Waite, imprisoned and tortured for years, and Norman Kimber, only released after anxious weeks and treated very badly, and, of course, people who are executed and never return to their families, I boil with rage that after such a short time these people were allowed to line their pockets, simply because the media, ever-greedy for as many graphic details as possible, offered cash, the most attractive commodity known to man and, naturally, woman.

If Ms Turney and the lone man who cashed in had anything resembling consciences they would either give the lot back, donate it to charity, or offer to share it equally between their partners in prison.

Now that the MoD have done an about-turn it makes the whole affair even more of a farce. All 15 of these people were detained together, so it would have been interesting to see how their separate accounts varied.

It has made a laughing stock of the MoD and some of the 15 ex-prisoners who are now (quite rightly) banned from getting paid for their ordeal are possibly feeling bitter, to say the least.

What are the Armed Forces coming to, to even contemplate a cash reward for simply doing their duty? They were released - why aren't they simply thanking whatever God they recognize for that fact. All prisoners are not that fortunate.

Heather Causnett, Escrick Park Gardens, Escrick, York.