DEFENCE chiefs are covering up the death of a young County Durham soldier at a controversial Army barracks, Amnesty International claimed yesterday.

The human rights campaigners have joined calls by Geoff Gray's family for a public inquiry into his death, and those of three other soldiers at the Deepcut base in Surrey.

Private Gray was found with two gunshot wounds in the head in September 2001 and his father, also called Geoff, has always insisted his son was murdered.

Mr Gray, MPs and families of other soldiers who died in mysterious circumstances gathered in the House of Commons yesterday for the launch of an Amnesty report into unexplained military deaths.

Deepcut has been dogged by bullying allegations and the four families say the MoD failed to properly investigate the deaths of their loved ones.

Questions have also been raised about deaths at Catterick barracks, in North Yorkshire.

Livio Zilli, from Amnesty, said that by so far refusing a full investigation, Britain was not fulfilling its obligations under treaties.

"Amnesty thinks that there is legitimate perception, and a growing perception, that there has been an institutional cover-up into these incidents," she said.

Mr Gray, who now lives in London, welcomed Amnesty International's intervention.

''They are a world-renowned organisation and they are engaging with us to get to the bottom of these needless deaths," he said.

Lynn Farr travelled to the House of Commons to highlight the deaths of soldiers at Catterick Garrison.

Her son Daniel died suddenly at the base in 1997 and her and other families want a public inquiry to include the North Yorkshire base.

She said: "I stood up and told them that since 1999 there had been 19 non-combatant deaths and there are question marks over 15 of those. It was good that the families came together, we just want a public inquiry."

A House of Commons motion tabled by Labour MP Kevin McNamara backing a call for a full investigation has been signed by 174 MPs from all parties.

Surrey Police are due to finish an inquiry into the Deepcut cases shortly after which the Commons Defence Select Committee will look at the issue of all military deaths.

The MoD yesterday said there was a zero tolerance approach to bullying and anyone caught would be dismissed. ''We are determined to learn from any tragedy.''