A FORMER soldier from Cross Hills has set up a website for victims of bullying within the armed forces.

Spurred on by his own experience of physical and mental abuse and reports of the deaths of soldiers at Deepcut Barracks, Malcolm Thorn, of Wheatlands Avenue, and former comrade Ged Walton have launched www.forces-helpline.com.

Mr Thorn said he was beaten up during his 14 years in the army and had a breakdown while serving in Kosovo.

"It does go on, I don't care what the army says," he told the Herald.

He met Mr Walton, from TeeSside, in Kosovo. They decided to set up a helpline for bullied and harassed army personnel at the end of last year.

They enlisted the help of Mr Thorn's cousin, Philip Newman, as webmaster, and so far the site has had 20,000 hits.

It offers support for victims and tells site visitors where to get help.

Mr Thorn also corresponds personally and confidentially with people via email.

He said: "We have not been trained. We are just doing it from past experiences and what we have seen and what's happened to us. If we can't sort it out, we know people who can. We will be that middle person."