The Ministry of Defence is seeking an amendment to the law to allow it to carry out criminal record bureau checks on the NCOs sent to train vulnerable Army recruits.

The move, a year after the Deepcut Review criticised aspects of the selection of training staff at depots, would allow the Army to bypass the Data Protection Act to vet the lance-corporals, corporals and sergeants who make up the majority of military instructors.

Anyone with a hidden background of violent bahaviour would be barred from duty supervising the 13,000-15,000 recruits aged 18 or under who enlist each year.

At the moment, employers can request checks on applicants hired to be responsible for under-age personnel, but not on employees already in full-time jobs. Most NCOs have between seven and 10 years' service at their ranks.

The MoD is opening a staff leadership school at Pirbright, Surrey next week to "train the trainers" and ensure that every NCO posted to a depot has been fully briefed on recruits' rights and vulnerabilities.

Part of the course deals with a ban on the informal physical punishments handed out in the past to recruits deemed not to be trying hard enough. Typically, these ranged from verbal abuse to exhausting extra drills, runs or push-ups.

The MoD said yesterday: "The new policy defines what is legitimate to assist trainees to achieve required standards and to ensure that both instructors and trainees distinguish this from bullying or harassment.

"That is always unacceptable. Punishment may only be awarded as a result of a formal disciplinary process."

One of those who died at Deepcut was Private James Collinson, from Perth.