The decision by the Ministry of Defence to allow the 15 British military captives who were released by the Iranians to sell their stories has been met with anger and criticism.

MoD officials claimed that the move to lift the ban on military personnel selling their stories while in service was justified because of the “exceptional circumstances” of the case, but the decision has been called a “propoganda exercise”.

The hostages are expected to earn as much as £250,000 between them.

The story of Faye Turney, 26, the only female among them, is expected to be the most lucrative. She could profit by as much as £150,000 from a joint deal with a newspaper and ITV.

The MoD bracketed the hostages’ 13-day captivity in Iran — including appearances on state television by some to admit straying into Iranian waters — with winners of the Victoria Cross.

The MoD said it had not encouraged the personnel to speak but had taken the decision because of “exceptional media interest”.

“It is a fact that the media have been making direct contact with the families and offering them significant sums of money - this is not something that the Navy and the MoD have any control over,” a statement said.

The MoD indicated today that the decision was based partly on a judgment that the stories would have come out anyway through friends and family.

Max Clifford, the PR guru, said the MoD was running a propoganda exercise and it “suited” the MoD for the stories to be told.

“They were very encouraging, they were very happy about them doing this, that’s the way they (the families) were putting it to me,” he said.

Opposition figures have also criticised the move with shadow foreign secretary William Hague saying the Conservatives would raise the issue in the Commons when Parliament returns after the Easter break. He said that the British military was respected around the world but if people that got into difficult situations were then allowed to quickly sell their story "we will lose that dignity and respect".

This weekend relatives of victims killed or injured in the Iraq war and opposition politicians criticised the authorisation as “inappropriate” and “undignified”. It comes only three days after their release and before they have given detailed evidence to an official inquiry.

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