Pilot told off for pizza delivery

ARMY top brass today faced embarrassing questions after reports that a Wattisham pilot used a helicopter to deliver a pizza to his lover.

A 25-year-old lieutenant used a £3 million Lynx helicopter to deliver the Italian snack 30 miles away at an army range near Thetford - and into the arms of his officer cadet girlfriend.

Allegations that the low level flight cost the taxpaying public £10,000 have been denied by the army but army chiefs have admitted they were unimpressed by the romantic gesture.

An army spokesman confirmed the pilot had delivered a pizza to his girlfriend.

He said: "A lieutenant from 659 squadron based at Wattisham was on a training flight. The flight was not specifically used to deliver the pizza.

"It was cleared as a training flight to Thetford and coincided with a visit by officer cadets from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. One of which was the pilot's girlfriend.

"He thought he would use the opportunity to deliver a pizza. I have no idea what sort of pizza it was."

Unfortunately for the passionate pilot his delivery coincided with a snap visit by Sandhurst commandant Major general Andrew Ritchie.

The spokesman said: "When someone like Major General Ritchie is around there is a large entourage with him. But he did not see anything himself.

"It was one of the senior officers in the entourage that noticed the helicopter was doing something that it shouldn't."

The pilot has been reprimanded and disciplined for his actions.

He added: "There is a humerous side to it. I hope she was worth it."

A ministry of defence spokesman said: "The opportunity to add a light hearted element to the planned sortie was taken but with no detriment to the sortie objective.

"The chain of command does not condone these actions and has disciplined the individual concerned."