The MoD has launched an investigation after a photograph of a soldier who had an offensive message written on his kit appeared in its official magazine.

The serviceman’s left kneepad has “Get some Paki” scrawled on it. His picture featured in Soldier magazine alongside a story about new rations for troops.

“An investigation is currently underway to identify the soldier,” said the MoD.

Last year, Prince Harry apologised for using offensive language to describe a Pakistani member of his army platoon.

‘Racist behaviour’

The picture was printed in January’s edition of Soldier, the magazine of the British army published for the UK armed forces by the Ministry of Defence.

Officials airbrushed the online version, but thousands have already been put on sale, with 70,000 sent to serving British troops – many in Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Defence said it was aware of a photograph and an “inappropriate remark” on a soldier’s uniform.

“The Army does not tolerate racist behaviour,” added the spokesman.

“All those who are found to fall short of the Army’s high standards or who are found to have committed an offence under the Armed Forces Act 2006 are dealt with administratively or through the discipline process.”

In January 2009, Prince Harry got in trouble after a video diary was published by a national newspaper in which the prince called one of his then Sandhurst colleagues a “Paki”.

He said he had used the term as a nickname about a friend and without any malice.

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