The "exasperated" Defence Secretary has summoned Army chiefs over sex and bullying scandals.
In a meeting expected next week, Ben Wallace will issue an unprecedented dressing down to the Army Board after a spate of recent discipline issues has focused attention on the culture in the army.
It is the first time the Army Board, the senior management committee of the Army which normally meets twice a year for routine business, has been directed to present itself for such a reason.
The move comes after senior officers were removed from post for alleged bullying, while others have been investigated for abuse of allowances.
The Army’s handling of the introduction into service of Ajax, the beleaguered future reconnaissance vehicle, will also be raised.
A senior defence source told The Telegraph: “The secretary of state has today summoned the Army Board to discuss a range of issues affecting the service.
“This extraordinary summons comes off the back of a number of worrying incidents. The meeting will cover Ajax, conduct and culture in the army.
“The Secretary of State has become exasperated over a series of issues.”
Bullying claims
Last month, Brigadier Jasper De Quincey Adams, the commander of 7th Infantry Brigade - the famous Desert Rats - was stripped of his command pending a bullying probe.
He was moved just days after Brig Charles Ginn, head of 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade, was transferred out of command amid separate bullying claims.
In July, Brig Jo Butterfill, decorated in 2009 for action against the Taliban in Afghanistan, was removed as commander of 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade over alleged fraud relating to boarding school fees.
In March this year, Major General Nick Welch, 57, was jailed for 21 months after being found guilty of dishonestly claiming £48,000 in school fees.
The death in February 2019 at Sandhurst of Officer Cadet Olivia Perks, 21, after alleged inappropriate relationships with instructors, is also said to have worried defence chiefs.
Additionally, the MoD said last week it was fully cooperating with Kenyan authorities regarding allegations British soldiers may have been involved in the 2012 death of local woman Agnes Wanjiru in a town frequented by troops.
An Army spokesman said: “The secretary of state announced today that he has convened a meeting of the Army Board next week in order to address several issues which are at the heart of the Army’s reputation and capability.
“The secretary of state is determined to work with the Army’s leadership to drive out unacceptable behaviour at all levels, particularly with respect to the treatment of women.
“The Army’s core value of Respect for Others must underpin everything it delivers on behalf of the nation, whether in the United Kingdom or operating around the world.”
