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British army targets youngest and poorest for riskiest roles, campaigners claim
The sun sets over a Challenger II Main Battle Tank in the Oman desert, where UK forces are taking part in a month-long Exercise

THE British army is intentionally targeting young people from deprived backgrounds for the most dangerous front-line jobs, according to the Child Rights International Network (CRIN).

The campaign group slammed Britain for being the only European country to recruit 16-year-olds in a report published today entitled Conscription by Poverty?

It found that more British soldiers are recruited at age 16 than at any other age, and said teenagers from the poorest areas are being “targeted” by army recruiters.

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