The closure of Barnsley’s Army Recruitment Office is an example of ‘short-sightedness’ by the government, according to Dan Jarvis MP.

The Barnsley Central member, a former Army Major, said the Barnsley office, at the bus station in town, was to close in June as part of the government move to hand recruitment over to the private sector.

He said: “Last year, the Army recruitment office at the Barnsley Interchange had hoped to recruit 75 new soldiers. They ended the year having recruited 80.

“These 80 young men and women were the beneficiaries of military experience - serving soldiers talking them through what life in the Army would entail. It is a source of expertise that will no longer be available to young people in Barnsley.

“To join the armed forces is a big life commitment for anyone and it is vital that before anyone signs up, they have had the opportunity to sit down and talk to an experienced serviceman or women who truly understands what service life is really like. By outsourcing to a private company the government runs the risk of recruiting the wrong people that are not suitable for forces life.

"We also run the risk of the right people not being privy to the advice and support that they deserve, prior to their enlistment.”