Lt Col Giles StibbeA PETITION signed by more than 1,200 Wiltshire Times readers to strip an army officer of his OBE has been thrown out by the Government.

Lt Col Giles Stibbe, who was convicted of dangerous driving after a triple death crash near Trowbridge, was awarded an OBE in September.

The families of Melksham men Craig Dicker, 23, Adam Lumley, 21, and five-year-old Tamara-Jayne Sheppard, from Calne, who died in the crash, reacted with horror to the news. Signatures from Wiltshire Times readers flooded in for a petition of support.

Craig's mother Sheri Dicker joined west Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison to present the petition, signed by 1,243 people, to 10 Downing Street on December 6.

Prime Minister Tony Blair forwarded the petition to the Ministry of Defence, which took nearly two months to respond.

Now veterans minister Ivor Caplin, parliamentary under-secretary of state for defence, has dismissed the petition.

In a letter to Dr Murrison he said: "I appreciate that those who signed the petition have misgivings. I would like to reassure them that I have examined their concerns carefully. However, it should be remembered that the due process of law has been followed and Lt Col Stibbe is free to continue with his army career.

"There are no circumstances that would bar him from receiving personal honours in connection with his service."

Mrs Dicker, 57, of Devizes, said she wanted to thank everyone who signed the petition.

She said: "I was really taken aback when I saw the petition and I thought maybe there is a chance but really in my heart of hearts I knew there is no justice system in this country.

"There are double standards and there always will be. As far as I can see my son and Adam and Tamara are categorised the same as casualties of war.

"That major was allowed to cause their deaths and get away with it just as if he was in Iraq and they were Iraqi terrorists."

She still wants an answer to why Stibbe, a convicted criminal, was allowed to continue serving in the army. She compared his situation to former major Charles Ingram, who was forced to resign his army commission after he was convicted of insurance fraud.

An MoD spokesman said: "A criminal record does not necessarily prevent an individual from serving."

He said a civilian custodial sentence automatically resulted in dismissal but otherwise internal "administrative action" was taken. He was not able to comment on individual cases.