A MILITARY investigation is under way after a drunken soldier filmed a civilian friend going for a ride in a tank and crushing a car.

The incident happened in the early hours of the morning at Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire, after the pair had been on an all-night drinking session.

The soldier allegedly sneaked his friend onto the Army base and showed him where the tanks were stored before allowing him to get behind the controls.

The drunken friend steered the tank into a parked car, knocking a wheel off the back. Then the pair decided to demolish the vehicle and record it on video.

The video shows the 24-ton Warrior tank rolling towards the white Vauxhall, then halting briefly before climbing the car and flattening it beneath its huge tread.

Afterwards the desert-coloured Warrior drives away and the soldier, who filmed the incident on a mobile phone, is heard laughing so hard the picture shakes as he tries to focus on the wrecked car.

The soldier is from the 2nd Duke of Lancaster Regiment and is from Merseyside.

He can be heard throughout the video encouraging and shouting instructions to his friend.

Gavin Greenwood, a military expert, asked: "Why was the tank not immobilised?

"This represents a very real problem if soldiers can simply jump onto lethal pieces of military kit at any time, day or night."

A Ministry Defence spokes-man said: "This is an ongoing investigation. At this stage no arrests have been made."

The Military Police are understood to have told the Crown Prosecution Service that because a civilian was involved, it will be up to them whether to take any further action.

It is understood that the soldier, who has not been named, took his friend back to the Bourlon Barracks, at Catterick Garrison.

According to The People newspaper, the friends continued drinking throughout the night and then the next morning, the civilian asked his friend to show him a tank.

The Warrior tank was equipped with a canon and a machine gun, but the weapons were not loaded.

The vehicles are driven by a two-man crew and can hold eight soldiers inside.

Warriors have been used extensively in Iraq because they give some protection against anti-tank mines and improvised explosive devices.

It is not the first time Catterick Garrison has been at the centre of a security breach scandal.

In 2004, four high-powered rifles were stolen from Bourlon Barracks.

And in November last year, a civilian cook was found with an imitation gun at the base.