The Shropshire MP who was shot within the foot as a teen

It was two days earlier than his 18th birthday in 1994 when Stuart Anderson was shot.

He was participating in a reside hearth coaching train on the Brecon Beacons when he heard a gun hearth shut by.

His good friend screamed and Stuart thought any individual else had been injured.

Rifleman Anderson rushed to present his comrade first assist however shortly realised that he couldn’t transfer his left leg, which now felt heat. That was the second when he realised that he had been shot within the foot.

This report accommodates pictures of extreme harm

“There was no approach of getting me down from the mountains and I used to be left there for hours with out ache reduction,” he mentioned.

“They received me to hospital in Abergavenny and a surgeon advised me that I would in all probability need to have my foot amputated.

“I did what each hardened rifleman did, which was cry and ask for my mum,” he mentioned with a smile.

A specialist surgeon managed to save lots of his foot and all 5 toes over 4 separate operations, however the harm was too advanced to ever absolutely get well from.

His gunshot wound was attributable to a fault within the assault rifle, which the British Military used on the time.

One other soldier’s SA80 had overheated in coaching and fired by mistake, an error which is named “cooking off”.

Regardless of “having to be taught to stroll once more,” the 48-year-old, went on to serve in varied campaigns, together with Northern Eire, Bosnia and Kosovo.

He retired from the Royal Inexperienced Jackets, now often called The Rifles, eight years after becoming a member of the military and went into the safety and defence business.

Then in 2019 he was elected the Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West, and final yr he grew to become the brand new MP for South Shropshire.

However the ache in his foot wouldn’t go away.

“I used to be advised after my surgical procedure that I might by no means stroll and not using a strolling stick however I used to be decided to reside a full and lively life.

“Ten years after I left the navy I needed to pay to have shrapnel taken out of my foot.

“I’ve pushed myself to the acute in a number of sports activities, nevertheless it away hurts.

He mentioned he acquired no assist from the Military after he left, regardless of having 10 operations over the past 31 years.

In January, he had his most up-to-date surgical procedure by the NHS to reconstruct his foot, however weeks later he needed to have a observe up operation to take away two toes.

“I in all probability ought to have had the surgical procedure 18 months in the past however I used to be a whip in authorities throughout historic occasions and I did not have the capability to step again from that,” he mentioned.

If the newest process has not been a hit then he could need to have one other operation to have extra of his foot eliminated.

The MP is utilizing his expertise to spotlight the struggling and prolonged restoration that many veterans face when leaving the armed forces with accidents.

“I am a member of Parliament going through this, so I can use my place for good and lift consciousness of a few of the dreadful issues that Shropshire veterans have been by,” he mentioned.

“Enhancements have occurred through the years however we’re nowhere close to the place we have to go.”

Anderson has now returned to work in his constituency workplace however has but to return to Westminster.

MPs needing lengthy absences of go away are in a position to ask different MPs to vote on their behalf within the Home of Commons.

They’ll additionally submit written questions and obtain a response from the Authorities from the Commons chamber.