Deepcut Army barracks failed in its duty of care to its young recruits, the coroner of an inquest into the death of Private Cheryl James said.

Brian Barker QC said the Surrey base had far too few officers to train and look after the young recruits, who were left bored and indisciplined.

Launching a scathing attack on welfare standards at Deepcut, Mr Barker said the general culture of the base fell below the standard expected, adding that the "haphazard provision of welfare support was insufficient".

He also criticised the fact that Pte James was left on lone armed guard duty, which he described as a "potentially dangerous activity".

Read more: Coroner praises Deepcut death parents over fight for justice

Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) meted out guard duty to trainees as punishment, Mr Barker said, which was against army rules.

Pte James was stationed at the barracks when she was found dead with a bullet wound to the head on November 27 1995.

She was one of four young recruits to die at the Army training camp over seven years.

A fresh inquest was ordered into her death after High Court judges quashed an open verdict recorded in December 1995.

Ms James' parents, Des and Doreen - who spent many years fighting for the fresh inquest to be held - sat listening intently as the coroner delivered his conclusions following three months of evidence at Surrey Coroner's Court in Woking.

Opening his conclusions, Mr Barker said it was "regrettable" her death was not better investigated at the time, and praised her parents for their fight for justice.

He said: "This has been a long and a difficult exercise, and many events since the autumn of 1995 have had to be examined.

"I begin by recognising the patience and loving fortitude of Mr and Mrs James. They have waited for far too long for the proper examination of the circumstances of their daughter's death and it is clear to all they have devoted immense energy and devotion to that end."

In a withering assessment of life at Deepcut, he said the ratio of staff to squaddies was inadequate.

He said: "While some intermittent training was provided, there were too few permanent staff to deliver it and put into place a structured regime to occupy and meet a duty of care to those young men and women."

Bored and without adequate supervision or training from their officers, the young recruits at the barracks turned to sex and drinking to occupy their time, he said.

There was evidence of inappropriate sexual relationships between commanding officers or instructors and trainees.

Mr Barker said the Army accepted that some instructors "saw young females as a sexual challenge".

He added: "The evidence of this inquest supports the presence of consensual but improper relations between instructors and trainees."

He said more serious allegations of abuse were "outside this inquest's scope", but added "the general culture of Deepcut in 1995 was far below the standard expected".

And he dismissed allegations that Pte James had been subjected to a sexual assault on the night before her death, saying it "at highest was assumption, at its lowest was fantasy".

Mr Barker also said Surrey Police had apologised and recognised that they should have taken primacy of the initial investigation in 1995.

The inquest heard Pte James had mixed feelings about being in the Army and often spoke with friends and other recruits about being unhappy and wanting to leave.

Shortly before her death, she spoke about shooting herself - but her friends thought this was just "banter", the inquest heard.

Described as "vivacious and bubbly", Pte James was caught in a love triangle with two men at the time of her death.

She had been in a relationship with Royal Engineer Simeon Carr-Minns, but then started a sexual relationship with another squaddie at Deepcut, Paul Wilkinson.

Both men wanted to be in an exclusive relationship with her and were upset at the situation, the inquest heard.

On the day of her death, Pte Wilkinson went to see Pte James while she was on guard duty to give her an "ultimatum" to choose between him and Mr Carr-Minns.

He arrived at around 7.30am and they spoke for about 45 minutes, the inquest heard.

Mr Barker said: "His recollection was he was giving her an ultimatum because he didn't want to be messed around.

"He told her she should choose between him and Mr Carr-Minns, but if she wanted to stay with Mr Carr-Minns they could still be friends."

The inquest heard Pte James told him she she wanted to be with him and he left happy and believing she was fine.

The coroner ruled that he did not consider Pte Wilkinson a suspect in Pte James' death.

Pte James's body was found 19m from the kerb in a copse near the Royal Way Gate at Deepcut, the inquest was told.

She was wearing camouflage and was not hidden from view, and Mr Barker said there was no evidence to suggest the body had been moved, other than by those who checked to see if she was still alive.

There was no evidence to show her clothing had been disturbed.

Mr Barker said it was impossible to say exactly when the shot that killed her was fired, but suggested it occurred at 8.25am.

Paramedics, civilian and military police and investigators were called to the scene, but Mr Barker said it was clear that it was "not treated as a scene of crime might be" or preserved adequately.

And he said that almost from the outset it was assumed that Pte James had died from a self-inflicted injury.