MoD inquiry into soldier deaths at Ballykinler barracks

Image caption, Two soldiers were found hanged at Ballykinler Army barracks

An inquiry has been opened into the deaths of two soldiers at Ballykinler Army base in County Down.

Both men were found hanging in their rooms at the barracks, two months apart.

L/Cpl James Ross, 30, was at a function in the officers' mess on 7 December 2012 before being found dead in his room the following day.

In February 2013, Rifleman Darren Mitchell, 20, was also found hanged at the base.

Both men had previously been on active service in Afghanistan with 2nd Battalion the Rifles, reported.

In a statement the Ministry of Defence said: "It would be inappropriate to comment while this is ongoing, but we stress that the mental health of our personnel is a top priority which is why the government has committed 拢7.4m to ensure there is mental health support in place for everyone who needs it."