A new report in the British Medical Journal has found that thousands of frontline veterans of recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from mental health and psychological problems.

The Ministry of Defence, while vowing to study the report, is now facing accusations of military overstretch.

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said: "Harmony guidelines that are meant to allow troops to rest and recuperate are habitually breached, leaving our troops feeling used and abused by the government."

And Nick Harvey, Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, commented: "Our armed forces are suffering the consequences of massive overseas commitments caused in no small part by the illegal war in Iraq."