Ex-recruit claims 'I was bullied'

Gareth Rees is waiting to see a specialist about his knee

A former army recruit who was training at the same barracks where Private Gavin Williams died is considering legal action against the army.

Gareth Rees, 18, from Pembroke, claims he was bullied and assaulted while on basic training at Lucknow Barracks, Tidworth, Wiltshire.

Gavin Williams, 22, of the Royal Welsh regiment, collapsed at the barracks and died after a punishment exercise.

The Ministry of Defence said any complaint should be made to the police.

Mr Rees claimed his knee was so badly injured that he is unable to work and is waiting to see a specialist.

The MOD said all complaints are fully investigated

He said: "I got woke up half two in the morning by someone gripping me round the throat.

"He punched me twice in the face and told me to run outside - he told me the corporal wanted to see me.

"As I was running outside, he pushed me from behind. I smacked my knee on the wall. It turned out it was mistaken identity. It wasn't me they wanted at all."

On Monday last week, 22-year-old Gavin Williams, from Penpedairheol near Caerphilly, died during a disciplinary exercise at the base in Wiltshire.

'Beastings'

Mr Rees, who has since left the army, claimed he and other recruits at the barracks were put through disciplinary exercises - dubbed "beastings" for the smallest infringement of rules.

He said: "It was a punishment. If someone did something wrong or if someone did not clean things properly, you got "block" jobs to do, like clean the hallway.

"If something wasn't done, they would give you a punishment. You would get beastings all the time and it was just a pain.

"I had them three times a week, four times a week. Sometimes you'd get them twice a day, three times a day."

Mr Rees said he tried to leave the army three times before he was allowed to go.

'Fully investigated'

He is on a waiting list to see a specialist about his knee and currently has been signed off as sick by his own GP.

The Ministry of Defence said it would not comment on individual cases but in a statement said: "If anyone has a complaint they should obviously make it to the police.

"All complaints will be fully investigated as they are being in the case of Private Gavin Williams."

Five servicemen were questioned over Mr Williams' death and released on police bail.

Mr Williams' grandfather, Ralph Williams, called for a full army inquiry into his death.

A two-minute silence in Mr Williams' memory was held at a carnival in his home village on Saturday.