New MoD bully watchdog created after Deepcut Army Barracks deaths

The post holder will take up allegations of bullying or harassment in the Armed Forces following Sir Nicholas Blake's review into the deaths of the four young recruits and a highly critical report by the Commons defence select committee.

Under Government proposals announced in June last year, the complaints commissioner - who will be from outside the military - could receive complaints from service personnel or their families and refer them to the commanding officer concerned.

The commissioner will not have the full powers of an ombudsman, able to intervene in complaints and supervise investigations, as Sir Nicholas recommended in his review, it was announced at the time.

The inquiry by Sir Nicholas was sparked by the deaths of four recruits at the Deepcut Barracks in Surrey between 1995 and 2002.

Privates Sean Benton, 20, from Hastings, East Sussex; Cheryl James, 18, from Llangollen, north Wales; James Collinson, 17, from Perth, Scotland; and Geoff Gray, 17, from Seaham, Co Durham; all died of gunshot wounds between 1995 and 2002 following claims of widespread bullying and abuse.

Inquests into the deaths recorded a verdict of suicide in Pte Benton's case and open verdicts for the other three.

The MoD said the new commissioner post had been established in response to the Deepcut review and the Commons select committee duty of care report into trainee welfare.

The role of the commissioner was to provide an "alternative route of access" for service personnel, their families or others, to make a complaint about bullying, harassment, discrimination or improper behaviour, it said.

The commissioner would also provide reassurance, through independent oversight of complaints, to the Armed Forces, their families, ministers and Parliament that complaints are being investigated "effectively, thoroughly and fairly".

News of the post has been received badly by the parents of the dead recruits.

Geoff Gray, father of Pte Geoff Gray, who died aged 17 in 2001 at the Surrey army base, dismissed the new service complaints commissioner post as a "toothless tiger".

He said: "We have campaigned for an ombudsman for the Armed Forces to oversee complaints independently. We have got a service complaints commissioner who is going to accept complaints but unfortunately is not going to be able to investigate the complaints.

"They are not going to be able to intervene in how the complaint is being handled - it will be passed down the chain of command. What a waste of time. This person will have no power whatsoever. It is a toothless tiger."