A WAR of words has broken out over a Gwent rugby club's sponsorship deal with a defence firm which supplied communications equipment to the Gaddafi regime in Libya.

More than one hundred peace campaigners have written an open letter to Newbridge rugby club urging members to end its association with locally-based defence company General Dynamics, which struck an £85 million deal with the Libyan government in 2008 for communications equipment.

The American-owned company has been a long-time backer of the local rugby team, sponsoring the Grandstand at the club’s Welfare Ground and pumping money into its mini and junior sections.

But Pontypool-based ex-serviceman Jonathan Williams, 48, claimed General Dynamics "brings shame" on Newbridge and Wales in an open letter to the club, signed by over 100 supporters of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Cymru. Newbridge RFC public relations officer Paul Rogers said General Dynamics has sponsored the club for many years, but nobody at the club is prepared to comment on the letter.

However, spokesman for General Dynamics hit back - saying the firm has created over 1,000 jobs at its factories in Newbridge and Oakdale, where no offensive weaponry is developed, and supported the local rugby club.

Mr Williams, an ex-RAF senior aircraftsman, who served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and the Middle East between 1989 and 2001, wrote a strongly-worded letter to the club’s president Michael Miles and chairman Idris McCarthy.

Mr Williams said he understands the club needs sponsors while, in general, he is in favour of companies like General Dynamics who develop military technology for the UK to defend itself and for other NATO countries.

However, he added: "I have a problem when they start selling it to regimes like (Colonel) Gaddafi’s", pointing to an £85 million contract signed in 2008, to supply a tactical communications and data system.

In the letter, he writes: "The South Wales valleys has a proud history of fighting oppression and injustice at home - the Chartists, miners, etc. and abroad such as in involvement in the International Brigade in Spain and anti-apartheid movement.

"We feel with respect, with this in mind, your association with the above company sadly brings shame on both the community of Newbridge and people of Wales."

The letter was sent to the club on Mr Williams’ behalf by CND Cymru.

It collected over 100 signatures in 24 hours before sending the letter on Friday, including campaigner Dr John Cox from Pontypool, MP Elfyn Llwyd, Plaid Cymru's leader in the House of Commons, and Caerphilly county borough councillor Ray Davies, the vice chairman off CND Cymru.

'We're part of community'

A spokesman for General Dynamics UK said: "The equipment the group has begun supplying (to Libya) is communications equipment and only a small proportion has been delivered".

The spokesman added that General Dynamics UK is a British defence contractor and the largest economic contractor in South Wales, providing high value engineering jobs.

He added: "We attach considerable importance in playing a full part in the community and have sponsored Newbridge RFC for around eight years. We wish to do so, because they are a good rugby team and local to where we are."

The spokesman refused to divulge how much the company sponsors the club for each year.