A woman, living near Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, accused of having the HIV virus and possibly giving it to soldiers, has told the BBC that she has tested negative.

Lyndsey Griffiths: "I want to clear my name".

Nineteen-year-old Lyndsey Griffiths, who was at the centre of allegations about her relationship with army personnel at the garrison said she was considering taking legal action against the Ministry of Defence.

She told the BBC of the problems she had had since the rumours started: "It's not nice walking down the street with people thinking you are HIV positive. Basically you can't even go out of the door."

John McArdle: Ms Griffiths "shocked and distressed"

Her solicitor John McArdle said: "She has had verbal confirmation that she is not HIV positive. She will receive written confirmation of that later."

Soldiers in a British Army garrison town are being offered HIV tests and counselling after Ms Griffiths and another woman in the area were reported to have contracted the virus. The other woman, who is nineteen years old, also denies she has the virus.

John McArdle: Legal action may follow

According to the deputy commander at Catterick, the women were thought to have had sex with some of the men from the base.

The scare started after what defence sources described as a confidential informant told the army headquarters some women around the barracks were HIV-positive.

Soldiers at Catterick encourgaed to come forward for tests

Commanders then gave written and verbal warnings, telling any soldiers who were concerned to come forward for medical advice and testing if necessary.

Army sources said two women, described as "liberal with their bodies", were the source of the scare.

But while acknowledging some soldiers had come forward for tests, they refused to give figures on grounds of medical confidentiality.

Catterick is one of the army's biggest bases in Britain, but a brigade usually stationed there is currently on peace-keeping duty in Bosnia.

The sources said the army took its duty of care towards its personnel seriously and had passed on the warnings immediately as a responsible employer should.

But the sources also pointed out some aspects of the social life of a garrison town and the behaviour of soldiers in their free time had changed little for generations.

Apart from warning soldiers, the army has for some time kept condoms at guardhouses to give to soldiers who want them as part of attempts to combat the risk of Aids.

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