Simon Buckden: Former SAS soldier and top author Andy McNab condemns '˜sickening' behaviour

He said: “People like Buckden who make these fake claims betray not only our servicemen and women, and veterans, but also the public whose support and encouragement is so crucial to us all doing our jobs.

“It doesn’t matter whether he is claiming to be SAS or anybody in the Services, the fact he was using other people’s courage, experience and tragedy to gain sympathy and attention is sickening.”

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Swift, who led the investigation, said: “Simon Buckden created an elaborate fantasy image of himself as a battle-scarred SAS hero and cancer sufferer to exploit the support of a number of people over a long period.

“He lied repeatedly, not only to those closest to him but to genuine survivors of trauma and also to the media and the wider public through the extensive publicity he sought to satisfy his own self-importance. He seems to have revelled in the sympathy and status that those lies afforded him.

“The monetary gains he made from this deception were not particularly significant but the sense of betrayal his victims and others have felt has been enormous. We hope they take some comfort from seeing him now have to answer for his actions.”