Yours for pounds 1m ... the Colonel's spoils of war

AS mercenary Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Spicer dodges the fall-out from the "Arms to Africa" affair, it emerges he has other problems closer to home.

His split from wife Caroline has meant putting their million- pound London mansion up for sale.

It's believed to be quite a wrench for Spicer to leave what was the haven he would retreat to from his military adventures around the world.

Spicer, 45, loved the seclusion of the detached Victorian house which is protected by a state-of-the-art burglar alarm system.

Until his five-year marriage to his second wife Caroline collapsed, they shared the luxurious 17-room home in south west London with their two young children and a terrier dog.

The house, which boasts six bedrooms, four bathrooms, plush decoration and a large garden, is just a 15-minute drive from the offices of his "military consulting" company Sandline in Chelsea.

Sara Pearson, spokeswoman for Sandline, confirmed the Spicers had divorced but would not reveal when.

Spicer, a Falklands veteran who left the army three years ago, is believed to have moved to a smaller house nearby.

A former Scots Guard officer, he was awarded an OBE for his service in West Belfast. He has become a millionaire since forming Sandline in 1996.

Spicer attended the army's elite Sandhurst college where in 1976 he won the Sword of Honour for the best cadet of his year.

He earned the nickname Tumbledown Tim after narrowly avoiding an exploding shell on Mount Tumbledown while serving in the Falklands.

Now it seems that he's facing the flak once again.

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