Deepcut inquiry refused

The Ministry of Defence today ruled out a public inquiry into the deaths of four soldiers at Deepcut barracks.

Families of the recruits, who all died of gunshot wounds between 1995 and 2002, had called for a full and independent investigation into allegations of bullying and mistreatment at the Surrey HQ.

A report by Surrey police in March also called on the MoD to conduct a "broader inquiry" into the way the Army looked after young soldiers.

But Armed Forces Minister

Adam Ingram was telling MPs this afternoon that the Government had decided against a public inquiry - although new procedures would be put in place to look after young recruits.

Relatives of the soldiers, privates Sean Benton, 20, Cheryl James, 18, Geoff Gray, 17, and James Collinson, 17, are expected to go to the High Court

to seek a

judicial review of the decision. They have refused to accept the official explanation that the soldiers killed themselves. Geoff Gray, the father of Pte Gray, said they had no option but to go for a judicial review.

He said: "We went to the Government with a very simple request, to tell us the truth. We haven't got the truth yet."

Mr Gray was also angry that Mr Ingram had agreed to meet the relatives only today, a few hours before his statement to the Commons.

He said earlier: "I don't see

how what I am going to say to him will make any difference if he is making his statement just a few hours later.

"I have been asking for this meeting for more than a year and I am not so much disappointed as angry that we are not allowed to put our case forward."

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon last month apologised to the families for the way they had been treated by the MoD, saying the support they received had fallen short of the standards "we demand of ourselves".