Britain should pay new recruits a one-off £10,000 bonus as a way of stopping the British Army haemorrhaging manpower, the Liberal Democrats have suggested.
Leader Ed Davey suggested the cash be paid out to new recruits who complete their training and serve for at least two years.
Additionally, re-joining bonuses for veterans should be increased to £20,000 to help retain talent, under a scheme that would cost the taxpayer up to £45million.
The British Army has struggled to recruit and retain soldiers for years, with the trained personnel strength hitting 70,752 in January this year.
Sir Ed, who last week visited British soldiers in Estonia, said the bonuses could be paid to help the force reach 73,000, the level desired in the Government's Strategic Defence Review earlier this week.
