Soldier exhumed for second post-mortem

The body of a young soldier was exhumed yesterday morning in an attempt to explain a spate of deaths at the Deepcut army barracks.

Private James Collinson was removed from the Wellshill Cemetery in Perth at 5am to allow a Home Office pathologist to examine the remains.

Pte Vollinson is one of four soldiers whose deaths at the barracks in Purbright, Surrey are being investigated after increasing pressure from the victims' families and independent experts who believe they may have been murdered.

Detectives from Surrey police have been forced to re-examine the deaths of Collinson, found dead aged 17 with a single gunshot wound to the head in March this year, along with three others who died in similrar circumstances. In all four cases, the army claimed the deaths were self-inflicted even though inquests into two recorded open verdicts.

Pte Collinson's father, Jim Collinson, has always harboured doubts over his son's death. "It has always been at the back of our minds – was there a proper post-mortem done on James? Did they look for every piece of evidence?," he said. "And now that they're going ahead and exhuming him it's just one great relief, you know, at last we've got the opportunity now to look at every piece of evidence that could be there."

Surrey Police said the body will be examined by a Home Office pathologist on behalf of Surrey Police, and reburied.