THE breakdown of traditional family values was last night blamed for teenagers leaving school undisciplined, materialistic and lacking in morals.

The conclusion was drawn in an independent report into the standard of recruitment at Catterick Garrison, one of Europe's biggest military bases.

It comes as the subject of "the family" is highlighted as a major battleground between political parties.

The Conservatives yesterday spoke of how they planned "to fix our broken society" at their annual conference in Blackpool - while Labour, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown in particular, has long championed a return to old-fashioned values of discipline, respect and responsibility.

The Independent Advisory Panel found that young recruits arriving at the Infantry Training Centre (ITC) at Catterick, in North Yorkshire, were often immature and self-absorbed.

Set up last year, with a remit to advise and challenge senior staff, the Army hopes the panel will improve the image of the training centre, which has been rocked in recent years by allegations of bullying and the deaths of several recruits.

The group of five respected business and community leaders handed over their first report yesterday.

The panel is led by Alasdair MacConachie, managing director of the Sherwoods car dealership, in Darlington.

He said: "My experiences from my visits to the ITC acknowledge the fact that recruits joining the Army are increasingly self-absorbed and undisciplined.

"They come from backgrounds that have suffered from the decline of traditional family and leave school without any set of moral values.

"Some recruits are socially immature, lacking mutual respect, and have led self-indulgent, materialistic lives - and they also are too easily shocked by the close confines of military life."

But Mr MacConachie said that, by the end of the course, the soldiers were transformed.

"Having had the privilege of taking a passing out parade, and all that that involved, I have to say it was amazing," he said.

"Soldiers, generally speaking, were far more focused on wanting to learn and better themselves.

"The camaraderie that the military experience produced was very noticeable."

Lynn Farr set up Daniel's Trust to support bullied soldiers after her son, Daniel, died at the training centre in 1997.

She said the report's findings were not surprising.

"They go and recruit in schools, and these young lads jump to sign up because they think there's nothing else for them," she said.

"I think it's worth remembering that we are the only country in Europe which recruits under-18s." The ITC takes in about 3,000 recruits every year, with between 2,000 and 2,500 successfully completing the 24-week course.

The ITC's figures reveal that about 20 per cent of recruits starting their training have literacy skills no better than an 11-year-old.

Once on the course, these recruits undertake an intensive two-week course at Darlington College to improve their reading and writing skills.

The panel also criticised the standard of accommodation at the ITC.

While Army chiefs were praised for replacing and refurbishing several housing blocks, the remaining accommodation was described as appalling.

Durham Police Assistant Chief Constable Michael Banks, a member of the panel, said: "Recruits are living in accommodation which requires painting, repair and upgrading - stained carpets, broken windows, broken lockers, dishevelled appearance, problems with showers so recruits have to use a different block."

The Ministry of Defence was urged to bring all blocks up to standard as a matter of urgency.

Referring to the complaints procedure, which includes allegations of bullying, the report said all complaints were dealt with seriously.

In conclusion, Mr MacConachie said the ITC benefited from strong leadership and management, as well as excellent facilities that met the needs of the recruits.

He added: "Accounts from operational theatres such as Iraq and Afghanistan indicate a high degree of satisfaction from commanding officers with the standard of trained recruits from the ITC."

The report was welcomed by Brigadier David Clements, commandant of the school of infantry.

He said: "The centre continues to produce the best trained infantrymen in the world and I am grateful to the panel for acknowledging the skill and commitment of our staff, and the quality of the educational, developmental and vocational training environment that they provide.

"I welcome and will act on their constructive advice, taking full advantage of the expert external scrutiny that they provide."