Servicewomen who cannot lock their doors will be moved to hotels for their safety

Women in the military who are unable to lock their doors will be moved to hotels for their safety, the Mail can reveal.

Top brass are checking locks and spy holes are fitted as standard on female single rooms in Army, Navy and RAF barracks.

And any woman without access to lockable accommodation will be housed off-base.

The drastic measures, reflecting the severity of the threat towards female personnel, are backed by the Army Servicewomens Network. Abuse of women serving is understood to be on the rise.

The Mail uncovered the policy following an inquest last month into the death of teenage Gunner Jaysley Beck. She took her own life at Larkhill camp in Wiltshire after being relentlessly harassed and sexually assaulted by male colleagues.

Gunner Beck had to sleep in her car because she was unable to protect herself while serving in the Royal Artillery.

Last night, former Tory MP Sarah Atherton, who has campaigned for the forces to improve its welfare provisions to women, said: It is disturbing that such measures are required and indicates so much more needs to be done to improve behaviours.

Boozed-up male soldiers going looking for women in their accommodation blocks is known as the two oclock knock. It is a well-known problem in the military.

The Mail uncovered the policy following an inquest last month into the death of teenage Gunner Jaysley Beck

Beck took her own life at Larkhill camp in Wiltshire after being relentlessly harassed and sexually assaulted by male colleagues

Gunner Beck had to sleep in her car because she was unable to protect herself while serving in the Royal Artillery

So it is imperative the Ministry of Defence takes it seriously. The latest direction on secure rooms was signed off by the Armys director of basing and infrastructure, Major General Richard Clements, and is also due to apply to women in the Royal Navy and RAF.

An official source said: This is a reiteration of standing Armed Forces accommodation policy, rather than a sudden change.

Defence minimum standard is a lockable door. If it breaks 48 hours is the maximum time allowed to fix it.

If it cant be fixed, the service person, male or female, should be put in another room. Only if that cant be done does hotel accommodation get booked.

Multiple reports have indicated women in the Armed Forces are being let down by abuse and sexual violence.

They have found an urgent need to overhaul the militarys misogynistic culture and to support women who often feel betrayed by the chain of commands response to their experiences.

The Mail previously reported the abuse of female ground crew by RAF Red Arrows pilots and women on submarines.

Last year a Navy investigation concluded that women in the submarine service suffered misogyny, bullying and other unacceptable behaviour.

And two Red Arrows pilots were sacked by the RAF for their mistreatment of female colleagues, while predatory behaviour towards women was found to be widespread and normalised across the display squadron.

The Ministry of Defence was approached for comment.