IT IS the knowledge that they may never find out exactly how their son was killed which has eaten away at the Riches' family for years.

Fusilier Gary Riches, 24, died at his base in Bosnia when he was hit in the head with a bullet from his own rifle on October 24, 1995.

Since his death, the Newcastle family have heard so many conflicting accounts from various sources that they can cling on to only one consistency - that the truth has not come out.

The bullet which killed Fusilier Riches also hit fellow soldier Fusilier Edward Beddoes, leaving him disfigured.

An inquest heard how the death could have been the result of horseplay, but Newcastle Coroner Leonard Coyle said there had been too many inconsistencies of evidence, and recorded an open verdict.

Fusilier Riches' brother, Scott, yesterday: ''What arose my suspicions of a cover up was that we were given up to four different versions of events.

"A misfire from cleaning his rifle, suicide - which all the other families have been told at one stage or another - horseplay, and we were also told he was acting out a scene in some film.

"I think they were clutching at straws trying to discredit my brother, as they have done with many other families."

Other anguished parents supporting a public inquiry include Brian and Linda Robertson, who say they have been stonewalled by the Army since the death of their son, Pte Richard Robertson.

Private Robertson, 17, died of a gunshot wound while on an exercise at Deerpark Range, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, on June 2, 1995.

He was on the firing range when he was shot in the neck by a bullet from his own gun.

Mrs Robertson, of Perth-shire, Scotland, said they had received a call from Richard earlier on the day he died, saying he was in good spirits. An Army official later said his death was due to an accident during rifle loading practice.

His is one of 19 deaths at the Catterick training centre in North Yorkshire since 1995.

Mrs Robertson said: "At the inquest the following March, an open verdict was delivered and we came away with a lot of unanswered questions.

"We continued to try and find out what happened that night but always came up against a brick wall."

Others families include that of Pte Alan Sharples who died from gunshot wounds while on guard duty at Helles Barracks, Catterick Garrison, on April 30, 2000.

The Army told his relatives that Alan, 20, had committed suicide, which they refuse to believe, saying he had just got engaged and was doing well.

A coroner recorded an open verdict because he could find no reason for him to take his life.

Another victim was Pte Richard Donkin, who was reported to have shot himself twice in the chest in April 1990 with his own rifle, at his regiment's base in Osnabruck, Germany. But his family, from Sunderland, have refused to believe the suicide verdict.

It is the number of incidents which families say "do not add up" and the dismissive way they believe they have been treated which has angered them.

In the case of Pte Geoff Gray who was found shot, his father, also called Geoff, who has spearheaded the campaign with his wife Diane, said there was a discrepancy between official Army records of his death and witness statements. Records show he was on sentry duty from 1am to 3am, while his colleagues told his inquest he was on duty from 11pm to 1am. The time of death was recorded at 1.15am.

Mr Gray said: "I have inspected this log sheet carefully. Geoff was signed out at 3am, when clearly he was dead by 1.15am.

''This (the Army record) is extremely neat ... and it is all spaced out as if this may have been done afterwards.

"It looks as if somebody's trying to cover something up."

Like many grieving parents, Mr Gray has criticised the Ministry of Defence.

''If this had been any other kind of big organisation, like the BBC or ICI, they would have had the police and health and safety crawling all over them," he said yesterday.

''Just because it's the British Army, doesn't mean to say we shouldn't investigate deaths. These are young soldiers losing their lives needlessly."

How the timetable of tragedies unfolded

June 1995 - Private Sean Benton, of Hastings, East Sussex, found dead at the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, with five bullet wounds to his chest.

Despite ballistics tests suggesting that only one bullet was fired from close range and the others from a distance, the Army said he had committed suicide.

November 1995 - Pte Cheryl James, 18, of Llangollen, Gwent, found dead with a single bullet wound to her head at Deepcut barracks - headquarters of the Royal Logistical Corps.

An Army inquiry concluded that she committed suicide and Surrey Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the death. However, a coroner recorded an open verdict.

September 2001 - Pte Geoff Gray, 17, of Hackney, east London, and formerly of Seaham, east Durham, found with two gunshot wounds to his head while on guard duty.

Five shots had been fired and the other three bullets were not found. A coroner recorded an open verdict after hearing from witnesses that during a search after the shots were fired, a figure was seen running away.

March 23, 2002 - Pte James Collinson, 17, of Perth, found dead with a single gunshot wound while on guard duty at the barracks.

The Army said he killed himself, but his parents insist he was happy. No inquest has been held.

April 30 - Surrey Police opened an investigation into the deaths of Pte Gray and Pte Collinson after campaigning by the families.

June 10 - The families of the four soldiers called for a public inquiry into their deaths, at a meeting in Westminster hosted by the Labour MP Kevin McNamara.

They said official investigations into the deaths amounted to a ''cover-up'' and claimed their children may have been killed.

July 4 - The Commons Defence Select Committee announced it would investigate the soldiers' deaths after the police inquiry concluded.

The parents of Cheryl James claimed she had been forced into a sexual relationship with a corporal.

July 5 - Surrey Police confirmed that detectives were reviewing the deaths of Pte James and Pte Benton.

July 25 - The Army admitted it had destroyed some of the bloodied uniforms of soldiers.

July 26 - Hull North MP Kevin McNamara said he was amazed forensic evidence had been destroyed and called for a public inquiry.

October 2 - An independent ballistics expert in a BBC documentary concluded it would have been impossible for Pte Gray to have killed himself.

October 3 - Body of James Collinson exhumed for a second, more detailed, post-mortem examination, to try to establish how he died.

October 24 - Police take charge of investigations into all untimely deaths of soldiers under new rules prompted by the four fatalities at the Deepcut base.

October 28 - The MOD promised a review of training procedures in the armed forces, focusing on whether training is too harsh, while cracking down on bullying and sexual harassment.