By James Moules

local democracy reporter

Soldiers in a Surrey army training camp have reported living in housing infested with rats, ants and mould, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

In this year alone, service personnel at Pirbright Camp have complained of finding various pests in their homes and shared living spaces.

The Army Training Centre at Pirbright delivers basic training to recruits joining army regiments including the Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers.

But complaint reports obtained by the LDRS through Freedom of Information laws laid bare the “unacceptable” living conditions some soldiers are facing while based at Pirbright.

Army housing at Pirbright Camp. Geograph – Alan Hunt

A total of 16 pest-related complaints have been filed in 2026 alone, which include reports of rodents, bugs and even a badger being spotted in and around service accommodation which includes barrack blocks for single soldiers as well as married quarters.

Previous requests asking for the number of complaints lodged since 2019 were refused on the grounds it would exceed reasonable time limits under Freedom of Information laws, with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) estimating it would take six working days to gather all the data.

In addition, six mould-related complaints have been submitted this year – which were mostly linked to faults in shower and bathroom areas, including one that describes a shower tap “leaking consistently resulting in mould”.

The complaint reports also described infestations of all manner of pests, including a sighting of rats “on the floor areas and within the kitchen” of one building.

“This situation needs urgent attention, as it is likely to develop into a serious infestation if action is not taken promptly,” the complainant wrote. “The presence of rodents poses health risks and could impact the safety and cleanliness of the workplace.”

Another described a colony of ants entering a building “in through the window”, while a separate complaint detailed a swarm of flies “coming from behind the panel in the showers”.

The complaints log even has a report saying there was “evidence of a badger burrowing under the café” at the camp.

One family escalated a complaint after pest control reportedly failed to contact them days after flagging a rat infestation in their garden.

“The family are desperate at this point and want the rats removed,” the complaint says. “There is a young child in the home. The family have a dog and can’t even let the dog out in the garden at the moment due to the rats.”

The LDRS understands the majority of any maintenance issues flagged in these reports had been resolved by the time this information was released.

An MoD spokesperson said: “Service accommodation must meet the standards our people deserve, and it is unacceptable for them to deal with pests and issues such as damp and mould in their homes.”

It comes after Forces News reported in June that more than one in 10 family homes for service personnel have been treated for mould or damp in the past six months.

Former Defence Secretary John Healey

Former Defence Secretary John Healey – who was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in July – pledged £9 billion last year to refurbish and modernise service accommodation over the next decade.

In a statement from November 2025, Mr Healey said: “We can’t fix forces housing overnight, but this effort is already underway and will now accelerate.”

An independent review commissioned by the Minister for Veterans and People into forces single living and overseas accommodation standards is expected to issue recommendations later this year.

The MoD spokesperson added: “After years of underfunding, this government is undertaking the biggest upgrade to service family accommodation in more than 50 years, backed by £9.2 billion of investment over the next decade.

“We are already delivering on our mission, with upgrades recently completed on 1,250 of the poorest-quality homes and more to be improved this financial year.”