Massive cuts to the numbers of Army officials and civilian staff are among the defence cuts announced by Prime Minister David Cameron this afternoon.

In his Strategic Defence Review, Mr Cameron has announced the reduction of civilian staff by 25,000, whilst the Army is to be cut by 7,000 to around 95,500 by 2015. These are the changes most likely to affect personnel in Wiltshire.

The changes equate to an eight per cent cut to the defence budget in real terms over four years.

Other measures announced in Parliament in the PM's statement shortly after 3.30pm include the doubling of aid to 'fragile' countries and the ordering of 12 new Chinook helicopters. onstruction of six type 45 destroyers will be completed.

Naval frigates will be reduced from 23 to just 19 whilst Navy personnel will be cut by 5,000 to around 30,000 by 2015.

Tanks and heavy artillery also face the axe and the Trident nuclear replacement programme has been delayed by a further five years - a concession to Liberal Democrat MPs in the coalition government who have advocated the non-renewal of the controversial programme.

Half of personnel based in Germany will return to Britain by 2015, with remainder returning by 2020.

Both David Cameron and Labour's leader Ed Milliband praised the work of our Armed Forces ahead of their speeches.

Mr Milliband added: "It is a spending review dressed up as a defence review, it has been chaotically conducted, it has been hastily prepared and it is simply not credible as a strategic blueprint for our future defence needs."