And I thought Berkeley was bad. The UK goes one step beyond.

The Queen was deeply concerned to learn that RAF servicemen and women had been banned from wearing their uniforms in Cambridgeshire after months of verbal abuse in the streets, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

As head of the Armed Forces, the Queen backed the Prime Minister's decision yesterday to speak out against RAF Wittering for ordering its personnel to keep a low profile in Peterborough.

Gordon Brown insisted that members of the Armed Forces should wear their uniforms with pride in public.

Buckingham Palace would not comment publicly, but one source said: "Naturally the Queen was concerned to hear about the uniforms.

"Her two sons were in the Forces and so are two of her grandsons. It is very sad."