Overview

• The Ministry of Defence and North Yorkshire Council have launched a joint programme to clear overflowing bins and strengthen pest control across the garrison
• Photographs and service reports reveal littered grounds, uncollected waste and rat infestations at one of the British Army’s largest bases
• Troop morale has suffered as soldiers cite deteriorating living conditions in official complaints and exit interviews
• Earlier this month’s Strategic Defence Review called for major investment in service accommodation to address retention shortfalls
• Former Intelligence Corps commander Colonel Philip Ingram described the situation as a joint failure of military and local leadership to uphold basic living standards