A SOLDIER injured serving in Iraq has criticised the Government for offering "paltry" compensation to British servicemen.

Former Lance Corporal Mark Keegan, of St Hildas Way, Gravesend, was injured during an insurgent ambush in southern Iraq.

During the assault in the Maysan province in April 2004, he suffered shrapnel wounds.

The 25-year-old said: "They started throwing grenades at us.

"I remember the second grenade bouncing in front of me in slow motion and exploding in between my legs.

"I then noticed blood coming from my legs. The pain was unbearable."

Mr Keegan served with the Canterbury-based Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment for the majority of his seven years in the Army.

However, when he was injured in Iraq he was serving with the Argyll Sutherland Highlanders Regiment, based in Stirling, Scotland.

Mr Keegan was eventually offered a lump sum of £2,144 as compensation for his injuries.

He said: "I feel let down big-time by the Government.

"I have been given an amount of money which is not sufficient to live on. It's a paltry sum of money."

Mr Keegan left the Army in May last year and has found himself living off his 23-year-old girlfriend Tessa Lacey's wages of £9,000 a year.

He found out about the payout on March 15, nearly three years after he was injured.

Mr Keegan added: "I'm living off my girlfriend's wages until I can get a job. She only works in a nursery.

"I want more compensation. The injury is still affecting my life every day. I feel the pain two or three times a day.

"I'm going to counselling and a pain management course in London next week."

Instead of a lump payout, Mr Keegan says he was expecting a weekly payment of between £50 to £100.

But the doctor sent by the Veterans' Agency to assess his claim classified him as being less than 20 per cent disabled.

This disqualifies him from claiming an ongoing pension.

Payouts for disabilities between one per cent and 19 per cent are paid as a single lump sum payment, while awards at 20 per cent and up attract an ongoing pension.

Mr Keegan claims he now has to sign on as he cannot afford to get to job interviews. He wants to do security work.

He added: "It's disgusting. My mate has only been classed as 40 per cent disabled and he had half his arm blown off."

Mr Keegan also toured with the Army in Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Botswana in southern Africa.

He says there are around 7,000 British servicemen currently awaiting compensation.

An MoD spokesman said: "Awards under the War Pensions Scheme are based on an assessment of current overall disablement based on all current injuries accepted as due to service.

"This is done by comparing the condition of the claimant with a normal healthy person of the same age and sex.

"The resulting percentage is then related to a corresponding table in the war pensions legislation which gives the appropriate rate."

He added the MoD cannot comment on individual cases.