FAMILIES of soldiers who died at Deepcut Barracks vowed last night to take legal action after the Ministry of Defence refused to hold a public inquiry.

Parents of the four soldiers who died at the Surrey base, including Private Geoff Gray, of Seaham, County Durham, said they were extremely angry at Defence Minister Adam Ingram's ruling that an inquiry into the deaths would not be held.

The families plan to take the Government to the High Court to seek a judicial review.

Geoff Gray, father of Pte Gray, who died from gunshot wounds in 2001, said last night: "We are extremely angry. We came to the Government with a very simple question: how did our children die?

"Surrey Police could not tell us that. Adam Ingram had the ideal opportunity to give us the answer.

"He gave us every single excuse he could come up with.

"We have no choice but to take him to a judicial review. All that is in place and we are ready to go."

Surrey Police published their report in March, following an investigation into the deaths of Pte Sean Benton, 20, Pte Cheryl James, 18, Pte Gray, and Pte James Collinson, 17, between 1995 and 2002. All four died from gunshot wounds, but the families have refused to accept official explanations that they killed themselves.

The report, the sixth prompted by the deaths, uncovered repeated examples of bullying and failure to learn the lessons of the past at Deepcut.

It called on the Government to launch a broader inquiry to examine bullying and the care of young soldiers across the Army.

In an address in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Ingram said he recognised the anger and disappointment there would be as a result of his statement.

He announced an independent inspection regime to investigate the armed forces' recruitment establishments.

Mr Ingram told MPs the Adult Learning Inspectorate would conduct the new inspections - including one at Deepcut and one at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, which houses an Infantry Training Centre attracting thousands of recruits from across the UK each year.

Kevin McNamara MP, who has been spearheading calls for a public inquiry, told The Northern Echo last night that the families were unhappy.

He said: "In his statement, Mr Ingram ignored Catterick and focused on Deepcut, even though concerns have been made to him about the base.

"I hope the inspectorate works, but it is about teaching and curriculum. We do not know much about it."

Mr McNamara said it was a blow that provisions would not be made for soldiers to express complaints or concerns to an independent body outside the chain of command.

Families of the Deepcut four and soldiers who died at Catterick have formed a pressure group, Deepcut and Beyond, to call for a public inquiry, a move backed by The Northern Echo.

Last night, Lynn Farr, whose son died at Catterick in 1997, said the other families, who have made repeated requests to meet Mr Ingram, felt snubbed.

She said: "It is not just a Deepcut problem, it is an Army problem."

Mrs Farr and other parents met former Conservative leader and Richmond MP William Hague in the House of Commons to gain support for an inquiry.

Mr Hague told The Northern Echo: "Mr Ingram's announcement will not be sufficient to set to rest the fears of the families involved.

"I will be asking him to meet representatives of the families of soldiers who have died at Catterick."