ARMY families in Larkhill are angry at delays in completing repairs to their homes and carrying out promised upgrades.

They believe that the poor state of married quarters in the area is adversely affecting morale.

Members of the Larkhill Residents' Association (LRA) doubt Defence Housing Executive (DHE) assurances that essential repair and maintenance will always be undertaken "without question".

They claim that housing managers on the ground are often impossible to contact, and promised repairs sometimes forgotten.

LRA secretary Fenella Purdy said that promises had been made in the past, but with no real sign of action.

"Urgent repairs are often not done within the laid-down time scale," she said.

"Weeks and weeks can go by".

Minister responsible for the Army estate Dr Lewis Moonie, answering a series of Parliamentary questions posed by Salisbury MP Robert Key, stated that decisions about routine maintenance matters were made at DHE area levels.

In the current year £285,000 has been allocated to 572 married quarters in Larkhill, which equates to less than £500 per house.