A CHARITY has urged ex-service members impacted by the army’s historical gay ban to request compensation as data shows people in certain parts of the Britain were less likely to come forward.

North-east England, Yorkshire, south-west England and Scotland have all seen unexpectedly low financial redress claims, Fighting With Pride revealed yesterday.

The charity believes also fewer women have come forward to apply for the government financial compensation scheme for the “gay ban” in the armed forces, in place from 1967 to 2000.

It saw men and women in the army, navy and air force subjected to brutal interrogation and bullying, forcing some out of service and often leaving lifelong impacts.

All LGBT servicemen and women face a deadline of December 12 to receive the redress, which awards £50,000 discharge payments, and up to £20,000 in additional impact payments.

The charity has launched their Battle for Lost Veterans campaign, urging the estimated 1,000 missing veterans to apply and receive what they are owed.

Only 19 of the 65 veterans who have come forward since the campaign’s launch were in areas Fighting With Pride believes have high populations of ex-service members.

The charity’s chief executive Peter Gibson said: “We’re determined to find every last veteran who’s owed justice. Nobody should be left behind.”

About 61 per cent of women who took part in a prior inquiry into the ban reported mistreatment while it was still in place, but women only account for half of claims made under the government scheme.

Dawn Loynes, a Royal Navy veteran unlawfully dismissed in 1994, encouraged other women to come forward to claim redress.

She said: “Your experiences matter, your service matters, and what happened to you deserves to be recognised.”