THE Army has made the decision to cease artillery live firing on the Salisbury Plain training area until further notice, following complaints across Wiltshire about the resulting smoke plume.

A fire sparked by the military exercises, using high-explosive ammunition, caused smoke to billow across much of Wiltshire and even into parts of Somerset.

An MoD spokesperson said: “We have made the decision to cease artillery live firing on the Salisbury Plain training area until further notice. The risks are reviewed every 12 hours in conjunction with any operational imperative for training, along with the requirement to ensure public safety.”

“The Defence Infrastructure Organisation takes the safety of our military personnel and the public seriously and we would like to reassure local residents and others that we are doing everything possible to reduce the risks.”