Drunk British soldiers smash through parked cars in £100k rampage with 'stolen' 15-tonne tank
Two drunk soldiers have been arrested after stealing a 15-tonne tank, wreaking havoc on a street lined with cars at their base in the early hours of Friday morning.
The pair, from 26 Engineer Regiment, had reportedly been drinking off base before returning to Swinton Barracks at Perham Down, Tidworth Garrison, at around 1am on Friday.
According to the Sun newspaper, they then commandeered a Bulldog armoured vehicle and took it on a rampage through the camp, leaving a trail of destruction with estimated damages at £100,000.
Footage captured by a stunned witness from a window showed the military vehicle cruising along a narrow road, smashing into privately owned cars parked on either side.
The Bulldog, which weighs 15 tonnes and measures over nine feet wide and 17 feet long, is built to transport troops across rough battlefield terrain.
Driven by a 240-horsepower Rolls Royce engine, it requires a minimum crew of two to operate, and comes fitted with a tracker.
The intoxicated driver is said to have pushed the vehicle to its maximum speed of 32mph, but struggled to keep it travelling in a straight line along the narrow road.
Several cars sustained damage, with two left completely destroyed.
Among the wrecked vehicles were a modified Vauxhall panel van, and a silver MG ZS electric SUV, valued at roughly £30,000.
Remarkably, no one was injured during the rampage, and the Bulldog itself emerged completely unscathed.
After the destructive spree, the driver calmly slotted the massive armoured vehicle into a parking bay with surprising precision, leaving the surrounding cars untouched, before walking back to his accommodation as though nothing had happened.
Images from the scene showed the Bulldog sitting neatly in the space, leaving a wake of carnage further along the road.
The soldier behind the wheel was apprehended in his room at dawn by Royal Military Police, as fellow troops woke to discover the devastation across the camp.
A second soldier was also taken into custody in connection with the incident.
Given the Bulldog requires at least two crew members to operate, both men likely played an active role in the early-morning wreckage.
An Army spokesman confirmed the arrests, stating: "We expect the highest standards from our personnel. Two soldiers have been arrested by the Royal Military Police following an incident at Perham Down this morning, July 24.
"We will not comment further while an investigation is ongoing."
The incident carries a particular irony, given driving is listed among 26 Engineer Regiment's specialist capabilities.
The Royal Military Police investigation remains active and no further details regarding potential charges or disciplinary proceedings have been disclosed.
The regiment is based permanently at Tidworth Garrison in Wiltshire, one of the British Army's largest operational bases.