Doubts cast on No 10 claims about letter clearing dog airlift out of Kabul

Doubts cast on No 10 claims about letter clearing dog airlift out of Kabul

Harrison’s letter, which emerged on Tuesday night , was dated 25 August and signed by her in her capacity as MP for Copeland in Cumbria and as “parliamentary private secretary to the prime minister”.It spelled out that the Foreign Office, Home Office and the Ministry of Defence – which had made last-minute objections – had cleared the way for Farthing and staff at his Nowzad charity to be evacuated from Kabul’s airport.

Dog rescuer Pen Farthing will board Kabul evacuation flight with his animals

Dog rescuer Pen Farthing will board Kabul evacuation flight with his animals

Pen Farthing refused to leave the country without his rescue dogs (Picture: Getty Images/PA)A former Royal Marine who founded an animal shelter in Kabul has made it through the airport’s security with his dogs and is awaiting an evacuation flight.

Ex-marine Pen Farthing and pets cleared for Afghanistan evacuation

Ex-marine Pen Farthing and pets cleared for Afghanistan evacuation

The former Royal Marine and his supporters had been campaigning to get his staff from the Nowzad charity shelter as well as their families, 140 dogs and 60 cats evacuated from the country in a plan he named Operation Ark. In a tweet posted on Friday evening, the MoD said: “Pen Farthing and his pets were assisted through the system at Kabul airport by the UK armed forces.