Soldier's body to be exhumed

Four soldiers died at the barracks

The body of a young Scottish soldier who died at an army base in Surrey is to be exhumed.

Surrey Police have confirmed that a post mortem examination will be carried out on the body of Private James Collinson.

His parents said that the "distressing" decision to allow the exhumation was part of an attempt to establish the truth about their son's death.

The 17-year-old, from Perth, was found at the Deepcut barracks in March with a gunshot wound to his head.

Private Collinson came from Perth

Detectives are also investigating three other deaths from gunshot wounds at the Royal Logistics Corps HQ over the past few years.

Last September Geoff Gray from Seaham, County Durham, was found shot dead on guard duty at the Princess Royal Barracks.

Private Cheryl James, 18, from Llangollen, north Wales, was found in 1995 lying in woodland outside the base with a single bullet hole in her head.

An inquest into her death recorded an open verdict.

In the same year 20-year-old Sean Benton from Hastings, Sussex, was found dead with five gunshot wounds. An inquest recorded a verdict of suicide.

Police investigation

The Army claims that the deaths were all suicides.

However, the soldiers' families believe they may have been the victims of the same killer.

Jim and Yvonne Collinson, from Perth, have asked for an independent pathologist to be present at the examination of their son's body.

We will continue to do everything that is necessary to find out how and why our son's life was so dramatically cut short

Jim and Yvonne Collinson

In a statement, they said: "We are determined that the truth is discovered about how our son lost his life.

"The exhumation of his body is just one step that we are taking to achieve this objective.

"Distressing as it is to us, we will continue to do everything that is necessary to find out how and why our son's life was so dramatically cut short."

A spokesman for Surrey Police said the body would be exhumed "in the not too distant future".

"This is part of an ongoing investigation into the deaths of the four soldiers," he said.