THE father of a North-East soldier found shot at Deepcut barracks has said he believes the killing of a fifth soldier in London is linked to his son's death.

Geoff Gray has always believed that his 17-year-old son, also called Geoff, and three other soldiers, were murdered at the barracks - despite Army officials claiming they committed suicide.

Now he is reported to have said that the killing of a fifth soldier in London is linked to the other deaths.

Private Mario O'Brien Clarke, 26, who was serving at Deepcut, was found shot on a residential estate in east London on Boxing Day.

The Metropolitan police have said they are not linking the death to the police inquiry at Deepcut into the deaths of the other soldiers and they are keeping an open mind about Pte Clarke's death.

But Mr Gray, formerly of Seaham, County Durham, believes there is a connection, especially as Pte Clarke was killed near to where the Gray family live.

Like the other soldiers who died at the barracks, Pte Clarke was a new recruit and died from gunshot wounds.

The police inquiry into the barrack deaths was launched following a campaign by the dead soldiers' families to find out what really happened to them.

Since then, an independent forensic consultant has concluded that Pte Gray and Pte Sean Benton did not die from self-inflicted wounds.

The soldiers' families are now calling for an independent inquiry.