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 The claims that instructors have been given money, cars or watches in return for favourable assessments have embarrassed officers throughout the Army who view the Royal Military Academy as a symbol of integrity and honesty. "If you cannot trust a sergeant at Sandhurst, who can you trust?" said one officer.

 Seven instructors, all warrant officers or senior sergeants, are being investigated by the Military Police and three have been suspended from duties.
 Details have not been released and the exact origin of the Middle Eastern students has not been given. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Yemen are among the Middle East nations with students at Sandhurst.

 "The issue is in connection with the acceptance of gifts in contravention of Queen's Regulations for the Army," said the MoD spokesman. The alleged gifts were believed to include Rolex watches and prestigious cars such as Mercedes or BMWs.

 Sandhurst provides the initial officer training for commissioned entrants to the British Army although about 10 per cent of the 800 annual places go to officer cadets from other countries. King Hussein of Jordan attended the academy. The MoD spokesman said detailed records of which countries sent their students to Sandhurst were not kept, although at present more than 30 nations are represented. These include Arab states such as the United Arab Emirates and other countries from behind the former Iron Curtain such as the Czech Republic and Ukraine. The spokesman said countries were invited to send their officer cadets to Sandhurst if they enjoyed good bilateral relations with Britain. This excludes countries such as Iraq or Libya.  Britain sometimes offers the courses free but can charge the foreign government. The spokesman said it was not known how much the course, which lasts 12 months, costs.

 Suggestions of financial irregularity at Sandhurst are expected to cause serious embarrassment for senior officers. The academy normally enjoys a good reputation for the high moral standards and integrity it instils in its officer cadets.

Formed in 1946, the academy combined the pre-war functions of the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst.

The instructors are picked from across the Army. The job is regarded as highly prestigious as only the best warrant officers and senior sergeants are chosen.