Muammar Al Khadafi

British soldiers who fall in battle will no longer be honoured with a public parade, and instead will be driven down quiet roads and back streets in order to 'avoid upset'.

No longer will the fallen heroes be taken from RAF Lyneham and through Wooton Basset, but now will go from RAF Brize Norton via quieter roads and back streets, avoiding scenes of public emotion.

Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare, and Veterans, Andrew Robathan, admitted on Radio Oxford that it was a deliberate decision, saying that "I am not sure taking coffins in hearses past schools, past families, past married quarters is necessarily the thing that everybody would wish to see....the focus must be on the families of the dead service personnel. They are the people who care most. That is where our focus is"

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One wonders at the true motivation.

Are the politicians ashamed to be reminded that there are British heroes dying in wars that we should not even be involved with?

Is it to 'avoid upset' to those Muslims who have repeatedly condemned the parades for fallen soldiers?

Or, is there something far more sinister than even that there.

Could it be that those in officialdom would rather keep British casualties quiet, not only in our current wars, but perhaps in advance of any new conflicts in which we will become involved?

Day by day it is looking more certain that we will end up with British troops on the ground in Libya. That's all but inevitable now, it's the only way the rebel regime there will be propped up, if indeed it even manages to achieve any kind of victory without the support of western ground troops.

We're making a lot of noises at other nations as well, if not Libya, could it be that we're going to end up embroiled with Syria, or the absolute carnage that would mark an escalation from the war of words and sanctions with Iran?

You just never know with our war hungry politicians, proudly bringing 'democracy' to the world and allowing others to pay the price in blood.

Maybe it's ahead of 'withdrawals' in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tell the public we have pulled troops out, all that remains are 'humanitarian advisors' and 'peacekeepers'. No more parades and any of those who then die are not in the public eye, nobody will know other than a line or two in the newspapers.

History tells us that there is usually always a cynical and sinister reason when those in authority make the decision to hide fallen soldiers away from the public gaze. Despite the public statements that it is to protect the heroes families one can be sure that, whatever the reason, it is not likely to be that.