ARMY hotshots from the region have bagged thirteen prizes in an international shooting competition held in Canada.

Lieutenant David Seaton, based at Imphal Barracks in Fulford, captained the British Army Shooting team as it took part in the Canadian Armed Forces Small Arms Concentration in Ottawa.

Accompanied by three Gurkha soldiers from 2 Signals, Sergeant Khagendra Tamang, Lance Corporal Niraj Subba, and Signaller Hom Yomgya, as well as eight team members from all over the country, the British Army team trebled its haul of prizes this year.

“This competition is the Canadian Armed Forces equivalent of Bisley and is well known and keenly contested by the top military teams in the US, Canada and the UK,” said Lieutenant Seaton, 28.

“The Canadians specialise in long range engagements and rolling open countryside attacks. It is challenging to engage targets over distance particularly as some of the targets are half man ones which can seem quite small.”

The tough competition saw the British Army team shoot over distances from 25 metres to 500 metres with SA80 rifles, Light Support Weapon and Glock pistols. Among the categories they won were the Light Machine Gun Night Shoot and Falling Plate competition, the military biathlon, the 8-man section attack, the service rifle and light machine gun night shoots as well as the three international classes.