THE Army is offering £10,000 “golden hellos” to former troops who were kicked out after failing drugs tests.

Desperate MoD officials have been trying to plug a recruitment gap by contacting thousands of ex-soldiers who used cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and other illegal substances, according to The Mail on Sunday.

Last week The Sun revealed how Coldstream Guardsman Charanpreet Singh Lall, the first to wear a turban during Trooping the Colour, was kicked out after testing positive for cocaine.

Falklands War hero Simon Weston, 57, said of the golden hellos: “I am truly appalled.”

An MoD spokesman said applicants must pass a drugs test. He added: “We have always welcomed applications from individuals whose circumstances have changed since they left.”