A former army recruit who was badly beaten at Catterick Barracks Training Centre, Yorkshire, has launched legal action against the MoD, claiming that the abuse has left him physically and emotionally damaged.

23-year-old Ian Stodart from Danderhall spent six months at the garisson during the summer of 2004 and claims he was the victim of a campaign of abuse and bullying from his instructors and fellow recruits.

Mr Stodart had to undergo reconstructive surgery after a fellow recruit kicked him in the face and head.

Following an undercover investigation by the BBC, the ex-soldier has spoken out about the level of abuse received.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said that a fellow recruit “kicked me in the head and smashed my eye socket. I had to have a metal plate put into the side of my face, which still causes blurred vision to this day.”

He continued: “I was in my bunk and all of a sudden there were all these guys around me. There was a lot of pushing and shoving, and then one of them set upon me."

Stodart also spoke of one incident concerning a PT instructor, who reportedly grabbed him by the throat and threw him to the ground.

He reveals he witnessed fellow recruits carrying live rounds into their billets despite the fact that live rounds are banned in the barracks.

"They would hide them in the roof spaces," Mr Stodart said. "They said it was for a bit of 'extra fun' on the shooting range."

An undercover investigation for BBC television resulted in the suspension of three army training instructors at Catterick, which has been the subject of abuse allegations in the past.

In 2003, allegations of bullying and harassment towards young recruits were reported, and an investigation in 2006 showed that humiliation of recruits was also a significant problem.

The current investigation at Catterick follows extensive coverage of incidents at Deepcut Barracks, Surrey, where four recruits died as a result of bullet wounds between 1995 and 2002.

The army introduced a new two-week training course for all instructors following the controversy surrounding Deepcut, but has proved unable fully to eradicate bullying and abuse from its programmes.

48 year-old Andrew Stodart told the Edinburgh Evening News that complaints of bullying regarding his son were largely ignored.

"[Ian] told us about the rough treatment by the PT instructor, but when we phoned they told us it was none of our concern," he said.

"When we went to see him after his assault, he was a mess."

On completion of his training Ian Stodart was declared unfit for duty and discharged from the army. Left suffering from depression and mood swings, Mr Stodart claims he is unable to maintain a job or even a home.

Being unable to control the emotional effects of his trauma has placed Stodart at odds with his neighbours, and forced disruptive relocations between homeless shelters and B&Bs.

It has been confirmed that Midlothian council are actively involved in finding him a permanent residence.

Mr Stodart's lawyer, Patrick McGuire of Glasgow-based Thomson's Solicitors, was unavailable for comment, but has confirmed to The Journal that court action has been raised to claim compensation.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence was unable to disclose specific information regarding the case, but has confirmed that all allegations are now under full investigation.

The MoD released the following statement: "Bullying is absolutely unacceptable and fundamentally at odds with the Army's core values.

"We take all allegations of inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously and investigate them thoroughly. We were already in the process of investigating several cases highlighted by the BBC and where allegations were new, we immediately launched further investigations.”