A FORMER soldier who wants ex-colleagues who were photographed aiming rifles at his head to face a court martial will have his case considered by the Secretary of State for Defence.

Former private Mark Holder, 36, was awarded £5,000 from the Army after he says he was bullied because of his dyslexia.

He said the final straw was a “humiliating” picture taken at Middlewick Ranges where he was unaware the guns were being pointed at him.

He served in Iraq in 2005 as a chef with the Royal Logistic Corps but he said he was bullied when he transferred in 2010 to the Military Provost Guard Service and left the Army in 2013.

Mr Holder, who lives in Harwich, Road, Colchester, wrote to MP Will Quince about his experiences who responded saying he would raise the issue with his former boss Gavin Williamson.

He said: “I am sorry to hear of your experiences in the Army when you served as a soldier and of your claims of bullying and harassment by ome of your peers.“I understand when you are in the Army, you are told never to point a rifle at anyone in jest so when you left you raised a complaint as you have photographic evidence of this.

“You have explained this resulted in an admission of liability of harassment and bullying by the Army and a payment of £5,000 was made to you, however, you do not believe any action was taken against the individuals concerned.

“I can appreciate how upsetting this incident must be for you, especially as you have explained the soldiers are still serving and you feel they harassed and bullied you due to dyslexia.

“I understand your desire is to see these soldiers court martialled as you feel they should have to account for their actions.

“I have written to Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Defence at the MoD to bring your case to his attention and to ask whether any further action can be taken.”

Mr Holder said: “I am trying to raise what goes on.

“How can there by seven loaded rifles pointed at someone head and it be called a joke?

“I have had people who have contacted me saying they have been bullied but they can’t say anything because they fear the will lose their job.”

Mr Holder said although he was given the £5,000 he lost out on salary and his pension during the long drawn out process and believes the Army Complaints Commission is not fit for purpose.

He has launched a petition in a bid to get the people involved in the picture court martialled but says colleagues in the Army have been barred from signing it.

To sign visit change.org and search for Mark Holder.

An MoD spokesman said all bullying allegations were taken seriously.

A fundraising page has also been set up to help Mark. Go to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/armybullying