Tri-Service

"MoD Spends £100,000 on Uniforms For Celebrity Ambassadors"

The Ministry of Defence has reportedly spent around £100,000 on uniforms for its celebrity and high-profile ambassadors.

Approximately 120 stars like Carol Vorderman, Bear Grylls, Dan Snow and Sir Chris Hoy have been given honorary titles by the MoD, and are used to help encourage new recruits to sign up.

Sir Chris Hoy has close family ties to the RAF and was given the 'group captain' rank in 2014

And according to a Mail on Sunday Freedom Of Information request, they've also been given made-to-measure uniforms costing almost £900 each.

The celebrities, who the MoD says have links to the Armed Forces, aren't paid for their work, but are expected to wear uniforms - the same as those worn by the Armed Forces' officer class - at public events, while they can also carry swords on parade.

Qualified pilot and TV presenter Carol Vorderman (below) and Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy were named honorary Group Captains in the RAF, with the MoD saying Sir Chris Hoy's RAF uniform, made up of a two-piece suit, cap, shirt, and tie, cost £896.54.

It added, however, that there were no further costs because he 'did not receive any training'. Ms Vorderman's outfit, meanwhile, was similarly priced.

TV historian Dan Snow has been named a Colonel in the Army Reserve, while survival expert Bear Grylls, an SAS veteran, was made an honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines.

The TaxPayers' Alliance spokesman Alex Wild said:

"It seems unlikely this is what George Osborne had in mind when he committed us to meeting NATO's defence spending target."

"It’s patronising in the extreme to suggest people might be persuaded to join the Armed Forces and potentially put their lives on the line because of a celeb endorsement." An MoD spokesman said:

"Honorary ranks like these are given to ambassadors with close ties to the military who champion the Services; their voluntary work inspires young people, supports recruitment and helps to inform the public of the outstanding work of our dedicated service personnel."