Police probe after ‘suicide’ of female cadet, 21, at Sandhurst

POLICE were yesterday investigating the apparent suicide of a 21-year-old female officer cadet found at the Sandhurst Army training college.

She is understood to have been under investigation over an alcohol-fuelled party at the Berkshire base, where Princes William and Harry had trained.

Military sources said her body was discovered in her room on Wednesday.

It is feared that the probe into her involvement in a drunken night at the weekend could have contributed to her death.

One source said: “She was seen doing the so-called ‘walk of shame’ after a night out. Standards are high at Sandhurst, they are training the next generation of military and world leaders, so she was asked about the circumstances by her seniors. She was spoken to as part of a wider investigation.”

Last night the Army confirmed an investigation had been launched by Thames Valley Police into the death.

Sources said the drunken night out occurred over the weekend and the woman was believed to have slept in another barracks.

But there is no suggestion of wrongdoing other than not returning to her own barracks at night. A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: “The death is being treated as unexplained but nonsuspicious. A file is being prepared for the coroner.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesman added: “We can confirm that an incident has occurred at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst resulting in the death of an officer cadet.

“Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.”

Sandhurst is described as “one of the world’s toughest and most revered military training academies” under the motto is “Serve To Lead”.