We’re 5,000 troops short, admit Army top brass

TROOP numbers have fallen again, leaving the Army nearly 5,000 short of its target strength.

The number of full-time soldiers dropped to 77,120 this month – down from 78,410 at the same time last year – according to figures released by the Ministry of Defence.

The Army says it needs 82,000 soldiers to operate effectively but that target has been missed every month for three years.

It comes despite a new recruitment campaign that says it is acceptable for soldiers to cry and pray in a bid to reach out to a much broader base.

Labour defence spokesman Nia Griffith said: ‘These figures represent a shocking failure by the Government to recruit and retain Armed Forces personnel.

‘Just last year the Conservatives made a clear manifesto promise to maintain the overall size of the Armed Forces, but today’s figures reveal that this commitment is not worth the paper it was written on.’

Official figures earlier this year showed that a record high of 100,000 people tried to join the Army last year, but fewer than 7,500 became soldiers.