A senior military chief has been sent home early from Afghanistan in disgrace over alleged inappropriate language and behaviour in the workplace.
Major General Charlie Herbert OBE was said to be throwing parties at the British embassy and drinking alcohol openly with Afghan colleagues.
He was sent to Kabul as deputy advisor to the Ministry of the Interior in June 2017.
The Army General was expected to train and mentor senior Afghan officials while conducting meetings with Afghan government figures and tribal leaders.
Maj Gen Charlie Herbert OBE was said to be throwing parties at the British embassy and drinking alcohol openly with Afghan colleagues
PA
His post was due to last for 12 months but he came home three months early following a complaint about his conduct, The Telegraph reports.
Herbert said he "shared a bottle of champagne" with work colleagues and was "short-toured" because of this - removed from his post ahead of the official end of his assignment.
He added that the complaints were investigated but later thrown out.
After returning to Britain, he started a role at the defence academy in Swindon before retiring from the Army the following year.
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Since retiring in 2019, he has spoken out about military affairs, including the Israel-Gaza war.
While in Afghanistan, efforts to stabilise the country were led by the US.
But the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021 - two decades after being removed from power by a US-led military coalition.
"After investigation by the British Army, the allegations referred to were found to be unproven and vexatious with the exception of a single one that I shared a bottle of champagne with some work colleagues, in breach of a US rule on the consumption of alcohol," Herbert told The Telegraph.
Since retiring in 2019, he has spoken out about military affairs, including the Israel-Gaza war
GettyHe said he was cleared of the other allegations and "continued to serve with the Army for another 18 months before leaving voluntarily to take up a new role supporting the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in Somalia".
An Army spokesman said: "Soldiers at all levels of the British Army are held to the highest standards.
"If any individual fails to meet these standards, appropriate action is taken."