THE Army has denied claims it has asked Colchester-based soliders to write their obituaries before they are sent to Afghanistan.

All 2,500 troops based at Merville Barracks are set to deploy to the war-torn country in September for a six-month tour.

Members of the Parachute Regiments have been told to fill in a form giving personal details about partners, ex-girlfriends and Facebook pages before they go to war.

The “media ops” forms have provoked outrage among some soldiers from the 16 Air Assault Brigade, according to the Mirror newspaper.

It says soliders are upset at having to “write up obituaries” before they head out to the warzone.

A spokesman for the Army, said: “Soldiers are not being asked to write their obituaries, they are being asked to provide personal background details for a range of purposes.

“This is a routine part of preparations and has been for some time.”