Cheryl James Deepcut death: Family 'close to justice'

Pte Cheryl James died at Deepcut Barracks in Surrey in 1995

The father of a soldier found dead at Deepcut Barracks said his family was "close to gaining justice" ahead of a pre-inquest review into her death.

Pte Cheryl James, 18, from Llangollen, Denbighshire, was found with a bullet wound to her head in Surrey in 1995.

Her parents won the right to a new inquest in 2014 after an open verdict was recorded at the previous hearing.

Des James said: "After a two-decade battle, we're finally close to gaining justice for Cheryl."

"But it's a sad irony that our new government is now intent on axing the Human Rights Act, without which we could never have got this far.

"Each of the young people who died at Deepcut deserves the dignity of their death being individually investigated."

Pte James was one of four soldiers found dead at Deepcut, in Camberley, between 1995 and 2002.

'Parents deserve answers'

The review at Woking Coroner's Court on Tuesday will consider Surrey Police's request that her inquest should be heard alongside fresh inquests into the deaths of Privates Sean Benton, Geoff Gray and James Collinson.

Privates Benton, James, Gray and Collinson, all died at Deepcut

Recorder of London, Brian Barker QC, will also decide whether her body is to be exhumed, the scope of the hearing and whether there will be a jury.

Pte James's parents want a new inquest into her death to be held separately and as soon as possible.

Emma Norton, a solicitor for Liberty, which is representing them, said they had had to "fight every step of the way for answers about their daughter's death".

"Twenty years on from her death, her parents deserve answers - not the cruelty of further delays."

Surrey Police has previously said it supported a "thorough inquest" into her death.

The Conservative manifesto contained a pledge to scrap the Human Rights Act and replace it with a British Bill of Rights.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "Ministers will be discussing their plans on this and making announcements in due course."