Ghanaian-born Appointed first black officer of Life Guard

The Life Guards regiment has appointed its first black officer, it emerged today. Captain Justin Butah, 30, will make history next month as escort commander guarding the Queen at the Trooping the Colour birthday parade.

His presence at Horse Guards will be seen as a symbol of the success in recruiting more soldiers from ethnic minorities into the Household Division in the last few years.

The posting means Ghana-born Captain Butah is the first black officer in the 341-year history of the Life Guards. "I don't look at myself as being the first black officer in the history of the regiment - it just so happens I am," he said, adding: "I'm immensely proud to serve in the regiment. I will succeed on my own abilities and it will have nothing to do with my colour."

Captain Butah was sent to school in England at 14 - his father, Joe, an officer in the Ghana navy met his wife, Glenda, at Dartmouth Navy College, in Devon. Their son went on to Sandhurst Military Academy then joined the Royal Artillery before switching to the Household Cavalry last year. Captain Butah said he had not received any racial abuse in his nine years of service.

He said: "It comes up in the same manner as remarks about people with ginger hair.

There is a certain robustness which goes with being in the Army.

"I am a soldier first and foremost. It is my honour to defend my Queen and country."

The announcement follows a two-and-a-half-year drive to recruit more black and Asian soldiers into the Household Cavalry and five Guards regiments.

On taking over as General Commanding of the Household Division in July 1998, Major-General Evelyn Webb-Carter discovered that only half a per cent of the strength of the Guards came from ethnic-minority backgrounds.

"This was simply not good enough - it is unacceptable," he said. "It is my personal crusade to make the Household

Division fully representative during my tenure." Ethnic minorities make up six or seven per cent of the British population.

General Webb-Carter added that he told his senior officers that the failure to reach out to "highly motivated, young, ethnic-minority men" had been "self-defeating and unprofessional".

Commenting on the progress of the recruitment drive, Armed Forces Minister John Spellar said last month: "Year on year, we have been recruiting more and more black and Asian people into the Armed Forces. This is not just a flash in the pan or political correctness; we are in this for the long term and are going to keep on going until we meet the tough targets we have set for ourselves.

"We have had some outstanding successes; since 1997 the number of people from ethnic minorities in the Household Division has increased eightfold from eight to 66."

Captain Butah will ride his horse York for Trooping the Colour on 16 June.