A police force which investigated the deaths of four recruits at the Deepcut army barracks today revealed that the case was still open two years after the inquiry was apparently completed.

Families of the dead soldiers spoke of ''amazement'' at the revelation from Surrey Police, which announced in September 2003 that no-one was to be prosecuted over the deaths.

At a press conference at the time the force announced that no file would be passed to the Crown Prosecution Service after what it then described as a ''15-month-investigation''.

Despite that announcement the families of Privates Sean Benton, Cheryl James, Geoff Gray and James Collinson, who died at the controversial barracks in Surrey between 1995 and 2002, were not given access to the police findings as they were being passed to a coroner.

But three-and-a-half years after the death of James Collinson, who was the most recent of the four fatalities, Surrey Coroner Michael Burgess has yet to name a date for his inquest to be held.

The disclosure that the investigation was still ''ongoing'' came as Surrey Police refused to release a report on its own handling of the case under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Devon and Cornwall force was called in in late 2003 to review the Surrey investigation after concerns were raised by parents of the soldiers over how it was handled.

Surrey Police is also being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission over its approach to the Deepcut investigation after an allegation from one of the soldier's parents that it prejudged the outcome of its inquiries before they began.

In response to a request for the release of the Devon and Cornwall Police report, completed almost a month ago, the Surrey force said that the fact that its investigation was still ongoing entitled it to an exemption from disclosing the contents of the report.

The force's information access manager Dave Edmiston told the Press Association that releasing the report could also undermine the outcome of the IPCC probe as well as a behind-closed-doors review of the Deepcut deaths currently being carried out by Nicholas Blake QC.

In a letter Mr Edmiston said: ''The Devon and Cornwall review forms part of the information held by Surrey Police in connection with the criminal investigation which, for the reasons stated above, is still ongoing.'' A spokeswoman for Surrey Police confirmed that the case was still being investigated adding: ''We are still pursuing certain lines of inquiry.''

In the absence of seeing Surrey Police's findings on their children's deaths the parents have been pressing for access to the Devon and Cornwall report but have been unsuccessful so far.

Des James, who is preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of his daughter Cheryl's death later this year, said the news that the investigation was still ongoing came as a surprise.

He said: ''My reaction is utter amazement because if there is any doubt at all about what was concluded then what the hell was the point of the press conference about it?''

He continued: ''If their investigation wasn't over what did Devon and Cornwall review exactly? At some point in the future can we assume Surrey Police have finally finished and say 'Devon and Cornwall come back,'?

''In some ways it is quite insulting to us, we are treated as if we are stupid.''

He added: ''Devon and Cornwall have finished a review on what we now know was an incomplete investigation.''

Geoff Gray, whose 17-year-old son, also called Geoff died at the barracks, said: ''It is quite bizarre really. Everything has been passed on to the coroner, how can you still have an ongoing investigation if everything has been passed to the coroner?

''We had been told it was over and done with, there was no file going to the CPS, so how can it be ongoing?''

Linda Benton, mother Sean Benton, said: ''I thought it was all over with apart from getting the Devon and Cornwall results and Nicholas Blake's review. ''I don't know what to say, I'm shocked.''