A WHARFEDALE MP is pushing for a meeting with the Defence Secretary in his fight to get a war widow's pension reinstated.

As reported last week, Otley resident Susan Rimmer lost her first husband, Private James Lee, in July, 1972. She was just 19 at the time and pregnant.

Pte Lee, who was serving with the 1st Battalion the Duke of Wellington's Regiment in Northern Ireland, was killed by a Republican terrorist bomb.

Susan began receiving a War Widows pension from the Government, but that was stopped when she remarried, to David Rimmer, in 1989.

MP Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem, Leeds North West) has vowed to end the "gross injustice" of Mrs Rimmer's case, and to help all those like her who have lost their pensions upon remarrying.

He said: "Following my raising of Susan's case in the House of Commons, I have now written to the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Defence asking for a meeting to discuss it.

"When Susan first raised her situation with me, having lost her first husband in the most tragic of circumstances and then being penalised when she eventually married her second husband, Dave, I committed to fight this injustice.

"She and other war widows, who have lost their spouses during their service to this country, have been penalised for finding love again.

"This highlighted the need to campaign against the currently unfair and arbitrary rules, which prevent some war widows from having equal pension rights."

Mrs Rimmer added: "I can’t understand why war widows are treated so differently when it comes to claiming our pensions. We should all be treated the same."