HUDDLED around a boardroom table, every family has a story to tell. Emotional tales of bullying, of sons found hanged or shot dead have brought together parents from all over the country who are united in finding the truth about what happened to their children.

It is the first time so many families have come together for a meeting of Deepcut and Beyond - a pressure group set up in the wake of the deaths of four at the Surrey Army base.

Since the news of the dead soldiers hit the headlines, dozens of other families have come forward with their own stories of sorrow and they have joined together to press the Army for answers.

Last month, the House of Commons Select Committee announced it would hold an independent inquiry into the Army's Duty of Care regime after a damning police report into the Deepcut deaths revealed many recruits were, and still are, subjected to bullying and abuse.

The Catterick families have prepared a 3,000-word statement detailing their stories, which will presented to the committee as part of the inquiry. Many of them will travel to London to give evidence and tell their stories at first hand.

Justin Hugheston-Roberts, a solicitor acting for some of the families, told the meeting in Blackpool that this was their opportunity to put their stories.

He said: "The committee is not looking at specific cases but they will hear evidence on specific cases from families and this will be taken into consideration. Families will be able to go and give evidence in person. It is the families' time to speak about their own experiences."

Solicitors acting for the families have already written to Bruce George MP, chairman of the committee, giving details of some of the deaths and what happened to the soldiers ahead of the 3,000 statements being submitted.

Lynn Farr, mother of Daniel Farr, who died at Catterick in 1997, is hoping the inquiry will be a step forward in making the Army accountable for what happens to the recruits in their care.

"I have always said that some of these case may have been an accident, but the fact remains that the Army has refused to give families any information and we cannot understand why,", said Mrs Farr. "All we want to know is why so may soldiers have died sudden deaths at Catterick.

"Every parent has a right to know how their child died. Nothing will ever bring Daniel back, but I want to stop it happening to other families."

Pte Farr took ill at the Army base and was transferred to Leeds hospital where he later died with the secondary cause of death named as pneumonia.

A post-mortem examination revealed he had fluid on the lungs. Specialists told the family they had never seen anything like Daniel's condition and they could understand it if he was an old man but not a fit, young soldier.

Mrs Farr has long suspected his condition could be linked to chemical training. She told The Northern Echo she has since received an anonymous phone call from a soldier who served at Catterick with Daniel, who told her son had undergone training in a gas chamber in the days before he died.

The private struggled to put his mask on and had to be dragged nearly unconscious from the chamber.

"I could not believe it when he called," she said, "Chemical training was something I had thought might have something to do with Daniel's death."

Mrs Farr will meet Richmond MP William Hague, whose constituency covers Catterick, at the House of Commons tomorrow.

"We really want to get as much support as possible,", she said.

Mr Hugehston-Roberts said solicitors were still trying to get more information about all the deaths and in some cases inquiries were being made to get inquests re-opened.

The Northern Echo understands case files on the individual deaths at Catterick and inquest files kept with the North Yorkshire coroner have been scrutinised by Army personnel and coroner's office staff following publicity over the deaths.

Mr Hugheston-Roberts said: "Things are being done with regards to inquests and we are hoping an inquest into Derek McGregor's death will be held soon."

He said inquest and post-mortem papers relating to Private Allan Sharples could not be found.

A coroner's spokesman said all the files had been looked at again because of the publicity over the deaths.

He was not aware papers had gone missing.

Staff at Catterick Garrison said they did not want to comment on the forthcoming inquiry by the Defence Select Committee.