France’s most senior army officer has resigned after 17 people were wounded by a soldier firing live rounds at a military demonstration.

Chief of Staff General Bruno Cuche accepted the blame, after President Nicolas Sarkozy criticised what he called ‘unacceptable negligence’ surrounding the incident.

It happened during war games open to the public at a barracks in the southern town of Carcassonne.

The army says it was an accident, and that live ammunition had been issued by mistake.

The soldier who fired, a sergeant in the marine parachute regiment, has been suspended from duty while an investigation is carried out.

President Sarkozy is technically the Commander in Chief of France’s armed forces and ultimately General Cuche’s superior. He has demanded answers from the whole military chain of command.

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