Hundreds of soldiers have paid a total of £94million in compensation after suffering injuries including cold feet

Defense chiefs have paid £94million in compensation to troops suffering from injuries such as cold feet.

Hundreds have received six-figure payouts after claiming their careers were ended by preventable training injuries.

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Figures obtained by The Sun on Sunday show 669 soldiers suffering from what are known as non-freezing cold injuries were awarded a total of £94million between 2012 and 2020.

Injuries occur when feet and hands become cold and wet for long periods of time. They are similar to trenches sustained in World War I and can cause nerve damage.

A soldier has been awarded £800,000 after suing for negligence, it emerged in 2020.

He suffered a cold injury after wading waist-deep into icy water during a night exercise in 2012. Despite complaining during the three-hour patrol, he and others were told to “bow down” and “hang on”.

Ex-Intelligence officer Col Philip Ingram said: “The Department of Defense finds it easier to pay for cold injuries than to fix the problems that cause them – bad equipment, bad training and bad leadership.”

The MoD accepted that Commonwealth troops were more likely to suffer from cold injuries. It said: “The health and welfare of our people is our priority.”