AN investigation into the deaths of three soldiers following a Brecon Beacons selection exercise is the biggest ever police probe into the operations of the SAS.

Dyfed Powys Police detectives are preparing to take statements from 96 soldiers who were on Pen y Fan when SAS triallists Trooper Eddie Maher, Lance Corporal Craig John Roberts and Corporal James Dunsby collapsed in July.

The soldiers, all Territorial Army reservists, were taking part in a timed test on Pen-y-fan, the highest mountain in southern Britain.

Trooper Maher, 31, and Lance Corporal Roberts, 24, died after collapsing during the exercise as temperatures hit 30C on July 13.

Their colleague Corporal Dunsby, 31, died in hospital 17 days later after being on a life-support machine.

The scale of the inquiry was revealed at a pre-inquest hearing in Aberdare on Tuesday, September 3.

For more from the hearing see The Brecon & Radnor Express - on sale now