Report raises Army's Deepcut failings

Lack of resources at Deepcut barracks, where four young soldiers died, reduced the "Army's ability to meet fully its duty of care and supervision responsibilities" according to official reports.

An Army board of inquiry concluded that there were insufficient numbers of staff to look after the recruits – many of whom were under 18 years of age – at the barracks, near Camberley, Surrey. It found that "the problem was frequently raised up the chain of command" without any action being taken. The reports into two of the deaths, of Privates Geoff Gray and James Collinson, in September 2001 and March 2002, stated: "In the view of the Board, sufficient evidence existed in 2001 to substantiate a strong case for action by either reducing the number of recruits... or by increasing the number of ATRA (Army Training and Recruiting Agency) staff. Such action would have relied upon a change in Army policy and priorities, together with an increase and or reallocation of resources."

Such changes did not take place at the time and the reports make 20 recommendations for reform ranging from supporting bereaved families to ensuring the continued improvement of training for troops.

However, the board of inquiry returned an open verdict on the gunshot deaths of the two soldiers – in line with inquest verdicts in the past.

The parents of Privates Gray and Collinson and those of two other soldiers who had died from bullet wounds, Privates Sean Benton, 20, and Cheryl James, 18, have campaigned for a public inquiry. But the Armed Forces minister, Bob Ainsworth, said that the Ministry of Defence did not believe there was "any wider public or service interest" in pursuing a public inquiry, given the "range of investigations" that had already taken place.

Yesterday Private Gray's father, also called Geoff, seized on a witness statement in one of the reports that a "warm weapon" had been found at Deepcut on the night of his son's death. "If someone had a warm weapon, in my mind that means that the weapon had been fired," he said.

Private Collinson's father, Jim, said "There has been a string of failures by the British army over the manpower at Deepcut and the health and safety aspect at Deepcut. Somebody has got to be answerable for this. Deepcut was the perfect place for murder. You could murder someone at Deepcut and get away with it."