A NORTH-East MP is calling for the Ministry of Defence to put more effort in preventing bullying in the armed forces.

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP Ashok Kumar believes bullying and violence is on the increase with many acts of brutality perpetrated on younger raw recruits.

He was speaking in a special debate in the House of Commons on the armed forces and its welfare.

It follows a Northern Echo investigation last month which highlighted bullying and assault claims made by soldiers based at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, and Strensall barracks in York.

Families of soldiers who died at Catterick are to talk about their experiences at Westminster on Wednesday where a number of MPs, lawyers and armed forces specialists will be attending.

Human rights group Amnesty International will also present its findings on deaths at UK Army barracks at the same meeting.

Dr Kumar said: "There have been a number of incidents at barracks in our area.

"I believe that there is a real problem here, and one that has been graphically highlighted in recent months.

"Just one case of bullying is one too many. It makes me angry that the name of our armed forces is ruined by these rotten apples."

Dr Kumar is calling for the Government to look into ways to make it easier for recruits to report incidents confidentially.

He said service personnel who are found to be bullies should be dismissed from the forces.

"In the year 2000, 192 Army courts martial involved some form of violent crime, and 34 cases involved sexual assault.

"Since 1994, a staggering 156 members of the armed forces have committed suicide and 100 others have been killed in firearms incidents,", he said.