Video: Philip Hammond: we could 'shut down' ex-officers' access to ministers The Defence Secretary warned that he was prepared to "shut the door" of the Ministry of Defence to retired military chiefs if they could not be trusted. He was speaking after senior figures including Lord Dannatt, the former head of the Army, and Lieutenant-General Sir John Kiszely, former head of the Defence Academy, were caught up in a "generals for hire" Sunday Times newspaper sting. Mr Hammond told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: "The revelations are deeply damaging to the individuals concerned and their reputations." At least one of those caught up in the sting had broken rules which bar retiring generals and other senior Whitehall figures from taking up appointments without abiding by advice from a special advisory board for two years after their departure, Mr Hammond said. Saying he was prepared to take action against them, he added: "We have to look at the level of access that we give retired officers to the MoD and to servicing officers.