A SOLDIER tracking SAS candidates on the fatal Brecon Beacons selection march has denied allegations of covering up possible delays in the rescue operation.

 Identified as 1C, the soldier - warned that he did not have to give incriminating answers - told an inquest he had not falsified an official log or given incorrect timing in a statement.

The inquest heard the  original logbook detailing the chronology of the day on which three candidates collapsed and died could not be found – with the thought expressed by 1C that it may be  “under lock and key” at the regiment’s Credenhill base.

Lance Corporals Edward Maher and Craig Roberts and Corporal James Dunsby suffered fatal heat illness as temperatures soared during the March in July 2013.

The inquest has heard claims that the march was not called off despite the heat because it would have caused “too much paperwork.”

Candidates gave given harrowing accounts of running out of water and having to be helped by civilians.

1C was described to the inquest as the record keeper for the exercise, in charge of the system tracking the candidates’ progress.

Previous evidence has outlined how it took around two hours for overseers in the exercise command vehicle - including 1C - to notice Maher’s tracker device showing him stationary.

It took around an hour to notice Roberts was not moving and between 40 minutes and an hour and 15 minutes for  Dunsby.

Birmingham coroner, Louise Hunt, told 1C that he did not have to give answers that could incriminate him.

Explaining why he had not noticed Maher he said: “I have to check everyone else. I couldn’t concentrate on one specific student.”

Pressed by coroner Hunt 1C said he had no information from the checkpoints about anyone struggling.

 “My attention was drawn elsewhere, I focused on everyone, I was checking everyone.”

1C offered similar answers when asked about Dunsby.

 The inquest heard how 1C had been on duty for nine hours when Roberts’s “man down” alarm was activated.

Asked if he was tired, 1C told coroner Hunt that he had worked longer shifts in “operational environments”.

Testimony then turned to the log entries relating to checkpoint timings.

 Coroner Hunt asked 1C if the list had been “created after this tragic event to clarify timings”.

1C insisted entries had been made on the day.

Keith Morton QC, representing Dunsby’s father, David, asked 1C if he had been “really monitoring” the tracker at all – to which 1C said that he was.

On the day, said 1C, it was 4.40pm when the control team realised that Dunsby was not moving.

Mr Morton asked why - in a statement prepared six days after the tragedy - 1C had put this timing at 4.10pm.

1C denied the  earlier time had been “made up” to given the impression of  Dunsby being noticed earlier.

Asked about the original logbook of the incident, 1C said it was likely held under lock and key at the “regular unit’s HQ”.

 The coroner stopped 1C from answering questions specific to the location of the log book, but confirmed that the original log had not been seen by the police or the Health and Safety Executive.

The inquest continues.