BRITISH airmen based in Suffolk have been fired after testing positive for cocaine and cannabis, it has emerged.The dismissals, which have only been made public following a request under the Freedom of Information Act, were made following compulsory drug tests of military personnel at RAF Honnington, between Bury St Edmunds and Thetford, last year.

BRITISH airmen based in Suffolk have been fired after testing positive for cocaine and cannabis, it has emerged.

The dismissals, which have only been made public following a request under the Freedom of Information Act, were made following compulsory drug tests of military personnel at RAF Honnington, between Bury St Edmunds and Thetford, last year.

The RAF has revealed that 263 military staff were last year tested for drugs.

Claiming defence disclosure and confidentiality rules, the Royal Air Force was unable to give an exact figure for the number of staff that tested positive for drugs.

Instead, the RAF revealed that between two and four service personnel had tested positive and were fired from the air force.

The news comes in the wake of revelations earlier this week that military police were investigating “serious” allegations that American servicemen were involved in the supply of Class A drugs including cocaine and ecstasy.

The investigation has so far included quizzing 11 servicemen from RAF Lakenheath and one from RAF Mildenhall.

A spokesman for RAF Honington said the base had not yet had its annual drugs testing swoop.

He added: “We have no figures for this year as yet, they tend to wait until the year's end and provide results.

“The drugs testing team turn up and take a roll of everybody on base at that time and then sample a certain percentage of them.”

Civilian personnel on base are not subjected to compulsory drugs testing.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said “surprise tests” were carried out at all British military bases.

He said: “All the gates are closed for a surprise drugs test and everybody is prevented from leaving or entering the base and everybody is effectively frogmarched in for testing, usually in a gym.”

He added the MoD Military Police did not tend to be involved if an individual had been found to have taken illicit drugs, but were brought in for more serious offences.

RAF Honington has about 2,000 personnel on base.

An MoD Police spokesman yesterday confirmed there no current drugs-related investigations at RAF Honington.