FAMILIES of four young soldiers who died at Deepcut Barracks vowed to fight on for justice last night after police ruled that there were no grounds for a prosecution - but called for a broader inquiry into Army deaths.

The verdict on the deaths, after a £1m, 15-month Surrey Police inquiry, was greeted with outrage by the parents of those who died from gunshot wounds at the Army base between 1995 and 2002.

The father of Private Geoff Gray, 17, of Seaham, County Durham, demanded a meeting with Defence Minister Adam Ingram and pledged to campaign for a public inquiry.

Geoff Gray said: "We need a Hutton-style inquiry where the Army are brought forward to answer questions.

"That is the only way we are going to get to the truth. We must fight together and move forward as one."

Mr Gray now plans to set up an organisation of families who have lost sons and daughters in similar circumstances in the military.

The police report highlighted the fact there had been 75 "untimely deaths" in the Army between 1991 and 2001 involving firearms or munitions, 60 of which had led to suicide or open inquest verdicts.

The report concluded that in the Deepcut cases, there was no evidence pointing to murder.

But Surrey Deputy Chief Constable Bob Quick said: "Given the recurring nature of concern about this issue over past years, and the potential to learn further lessons beyond Deepcut, we consider that a broader inquiry may make a further contribution to avoiding tragedies like those we have investigated at Deepcut."

Mr Quick would not say whether a "broader inquiry" was tantamount to a public inquiry.

Police said the inquiry did amass "significant evidence that throws further light on the reasons for each of the four deaths".

This will be passed to Surrey coroner Michael Burgess, who is holding an inquest into the death of Pte James Collinson, the last of the four soldiers to die.

Mr Burgess will decide whether there are grounds to support an application to the High Court for a new inquest into the deaths of Pte Gray, as well as Pte Sean Benton and Pte Cheryl James.

Mr Quick said the inquiry had seen 900 witnesses and taken 1,500 statements.

It identified eight "key areas of risk" in relation to potentially vulnerable trainee soldiers and made 27 recommendations to the Army.

The report also identified failings in the way the Army and police investigate soldiers' deaths.

But Mr Quick said: "Despite the scale of the investigation, we have not been able to find any evidence that would point to any suspect or point directly to the hypothesis of murder."

However, he added: "There are elements in the inquiry which certainly leave open that prospect."

Police are to produce a further report detailing the investigation into each of the four deaths.

The Northern Echo is backing calls for an inquiry into all non-combat deaths at Army bases across the country, including Catterick Garrison.

Jim Collinson, father 17-James, said: "Our son was murdered at Deepcut and we will carry on and get justice for him.

"It used to smell of a cover-up and it stinks of a cover-up now."

Pte James's father, Des James, said: "The issue is not going to go away."

Lessons to learn - Page 3