A campaigner has hit out at plans to slash Gurkha jobs as part of the government's Defence Spending Review.

Folkestone-based Peter Carroll, who fought with Joanna Lumley for Gurkhas' rights to stay in Britain after leaving the army, has slammed yesterday's announcement that 150 Gurkha soldiers are to be in the frontline of job cuts.

Speaking after the announcement, he said: "It's a very sad for everybody concerned.

"It's a sad day for the British Army as they will lose 150 highly skilled troops.

"It's a sad day for Kent because the Gurkhas are very much associated with our county and obviously its a very sad day for the Gurkhas themselves as these people are not new recruits - these are highly experienced soldiers who have invested their lives in the British. So it's a sad day all round.

"It's a huge disappointment because it contrasts so starkly with the joyous news last week where a Gurkha received an award for his bravery on the battlefield taking on the Taliban on our behalf."

He said they were being sent into battle and "praised to high heaven" at one turn, and then returning home to uncertainty and cuts.

Mr Carroll added: "Is there going to be more? What effect does that have on morale?"

The supporter dubbed the move a "smack in the face, particularly when they're making the most experienced Gurkhas redundant.

Audio: Peter Carroll, speaking on the decision to axe Gurkha jobs

"It appears their reward for exceptionally long service and devotion is to face the axe."

Around 150 Gurkhas are on the frontline of government cuts.

They are thought to be among the first to face the axe as part of the Defence Spending Review.

The regiment, which has a home in Folkestone and a base in Maidstone, had been warned they may suffer in the cutbacks.

Some 1,000 soldiers and 1,600 Royal Navy personnel are set to lose their jobs in the first wave of redundancies from the Armed Forces.

In total 10,600 military personnel could lose their jobs over the next four years.

Armed Forces Minister Nick Harvey said today the move was regrettable, but the coalition government had inherited a huge deficit.