Carl Clowes has already paid a high price for serving his country in Afghanistan.

The Royal Logistics Corps Private suffered horrific injuries and eventually lost the lower part of his left leg after being blown up in Helmand Province. But now he is being asked to return £48,000 in compensation the Ministry of Defence says he should never have received.

The 21-year-old was awarded £92,000 for his amputated leg, which he felt was satisfactory, and £10,000 for injuries to his right leg, which he disputed.

So when a further £48,000 from the Ministry of Defence landed in his bank account, he was delighted. A day later, however, he was told it was a duplicate payment and was asked to repay the sum.

He refused, took legal advice and paid off his mortgage. Now he has learnt that the MoD is looking to recover the money anyway, starting with his £14,500 medical discharge payment and then through £120 from his monthly pension for 23 years.

It is clear that Private Clowes deserves compensation and many may think that £10,000 for the appalling injuries to his right leg is not enough.

Equally, the MoD is right to look after public funds (though it does not always seem to apply the same rigour to procurement contracts, which have a habit of going way over budget).

However, its treatment of him, in first failing to agree a satisfactory pay-out and then making a huge payment in error, has not been of the highest order. It now needs to sort this out quickly, taking these factors and his service into consideration.