Hard to believe but half of British Army regularly consider quitting, a survey has revealed.

The first study of attitudes across the Army, Navy and RAF revealed alarming concerns over morale, equipment and pay.

The Ministry of Defence research, which involved more than 24,000 military personnel, found 47 per cent of soldiers and army officers periodically considered handing in their resignation.

The proportion was the same among Royal Navy personnel, while the figure was 37 per cent in the Royal Marines and 44 per cent in the RAF.

The pressure of frequent tours in Afghanistan and Iraq appears to be taking its toll, with 45 per cent of all servicemen and women saying they were unhappy with separation from friends and family.

Asked if shorter gaps between tours were making them more likely to leave the forces, 38 per cent agreed while 47 per cent said it made no difference.

In the Army, nearly three-fifths of of those questioned rated the level of morale as "low" or "very low". In the Royal Navy it was 64 per cent and in the Royal Marines 38 per cent.

The worst level reported was in the RAF, where nearly three-quarters said morale was low.

The survey was carried out between July and October last year, when more than 30 personnel died in the two main combat zones.