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Seven Army instructors have been arrested amid claims they accepted Mercedes and BMW cars, Rolex watches and foreign holiday from rich Arab officer cadets as inducements to improve the students' course grades.

An MoD spokesman confirmed today that the Royal Military Police were investigating a "number of allegations raised by some overseas officer cadets" at the Berkshire academy. He said: "The is is in connection with the acceptance of gifts in contravention of Queen's regulations for the Army."

The seven instructors are all non-commissioned officers. One is said to be a highly respected sergeant-major.

The scandal came to light after one officer cadet - a member of an Arab royal family - laid a complaint that he still got low grades despite his generosity to the instructors. Other foreign cadets supported him. About 10 per cent of the 600 cadets attending Sandhurst - the oldest and most prestigious military academy in the world - come from overseas. Previously some instructors have received gifts from their affluent foreign charges, but only after the annual passing out parade.

These allegations centre on bribes dangled to improve grades prior to the passing out ceremony. A coveted prize is awarded to the best overseas officer cadet and good Sandhurst grades are the key to successful and comfortable careers in many foreign armed forces. A Sandhurst source stressed that no officers on the academy staff were involved. He said: "The NCO instructors are hugely influential on deciding grades. It appears as if these instructors took gifts - and still made those who proffered them bottom of the class."

The seven involved were placed in temporary custody as a team from the Army's Special Investigations branch searched their quarters. All have now been released and put back to work as investigators probe the "riches for rank" allegations. One of the NCOs involved complained to The Sun today: "We are being made scapegoats over something that has been going on here for years." He added: "If the allegations are proved we're out of the Army.

The RMA was founded in 1799. Among its most famous overseas cadets is King Hussein of Jordan. The glittering annual passing out parade is usually attended by the Queen or a senior member of the Royal Family.