Parents worried their son may have been murdered on an Army base have welcomed the decision to reopen a police inquiry into his death.

The parents of 17-year-old Geoff Gray have been campaigning for further investigation of the soldier's death.

The teenager from Seaham was shot dead while on guard duty last September at the Royal Logistics Corps headquarters in Deepcut, Surrey.

The Army, whose police force carried out the original investigation, privately suggested the teenager committed suicide, despite the fact Geoff had two gunshot wounds - both of which would have killed him outright - on either side of his forehead.

The circumstances surrounding his death have been shrouded in mystery, with a witness at an inquest into his death describing hearing three gunshots in quick succession and seeing a man climbing the fence of the compound Geoff was patrolling.

The inquest recorded an open verdict.

Police yesterday announced they are to look into the death of Private Gray and also the death of colleague Pte Collinson in March.

And in a new twist, police are understood to be examining two other deaths at the barracks - both privates found with gunshot wounds over a six months period in 1995.

In a statement Surrey police said: "Having listened to the concerns of the family of Private Geoff Gray, Surrey Police reviewed the case.

"As a result of the review the force has decided to re-investigate the death and appointed a senior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton.

"The same officer has also taken responsibility for the investigation into the death of Private James Collinson.

"New to both enquiries, DCI Sutton will bring a completely open mind to the process."

The news was welcomed by Geoff's parents. "We are over the moon that the case has been reopened and hopefully, at long last, we will get some answers," said his mother Diane.

"For all we know there could be a serial killer at large.

"If Geoff's death had been investigated thoroughly in the first place we would never have had to go this far.

"In a way it is worrying because we have no idea what the investigation will uncover about how our son died. But we will not be able to rest until all the facts have come out."

Diane and her husband Geoff have been baffled by inconsistencies in the official version of events leading up to her son's death - including unusual injuries to his body.