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Army recruit dies while training at Surrey base Army recruit dies while training at Surrey base
(about 1 hour later)
A recruit has died while undergoing initial army training. A female recruit has died while undergoing initial army training.
The incident happened at the army training centre in Pirbright, Surrey. The incident occurred at the army training centre in Pirbright, Surrey. An army spokeswoman confirmed that the victim was female but refused to discuss her age.
An army spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that a recruit has died while undergoing initial training at the Army Training Centre (ATC) Pirbright. The spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that a recruit has died while undergoing initial training at the army training centre Pirbright. The incident is being investigated and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
“The incident is being investigated and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
“We offer our condolences to the family and ask that you respect their privacy while they come to terms with their sudden loss.”“We offer our condolences to the family and ask that you respect their privacy while they come to terms with their sudden loss.”
The army refused to discuss the age or gender of the person but the Sun reported the victim was a girl who had completed a tough two-day exercise. It is thought the victim had recently begun the common military syllabus at Pirbright, where recruits to the Army Air Corps, the Royal Engineers and the Armoured Corps, among other units, receive their basic training.
Pirbright is only four miles from Deepcut, where four soldiers died between 1995 and 2002 amid claims of bullying and abuse.Pirbright is only four miles from Deepcut, where four soldiers died between 1995 and 2002 amid claims of bullying and abuse.
Privates Cheryl James, Sean Benton, James Collinson and Geoff Gray all sustained gunshot wounds.Privates Cheryl James, Sean Benton, James Collinson and Geoff Gray all sustained gunshot wounds.
Families at the time claimed their children had been “bullied to death”, although a subsequent investigation found no evidence of this.
Fresh questions were raised about recruit deaths in 2008, when 29-year-old Anthony Hernandez was found hanged in his barracks at Pirbright, just five days after starting his basic training.
Pirbright accepts recruits from the age of 17 and the army takes recruits from 16. Since 2003, the military has undertaken not to deploy personnel under 18 on combat operations.
However, according to Child Soldiers International, at least 22 have been sent to war zones by mistake. The UK is one of about 25 countries worldwide that still recruits under-18s.