No criminal action will be taken against paratroopers at the 16 Air Assault Brigade in Colchester after an alleged orgy, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

A military police investigation was launched into an alleged orgy that took place at the Merville Barracks last week.

An Army spokesman said: “The Army expects the highest standards of behaviour from all their personnel.

"Anyone not maintaining these standards will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken against them.

“The Royal Military Police have concluded that no criminal activity has taken place.

"The matter has been transferred to the unit’s commanding officer to investigate and take appropriate action against anyone found to be in breach of the Army’s values and standards.”

Speaking last week armed forces minister James Heappey said he was "sorry and embarrassed" as he condemned a video appearing to show paratroopers participating in an orgy at the military base.

Mr Heappey described the clip, which was said to capture a number of soldiers having sex with a woman, as “disgraceful”.

The Times reported that the woman, a civilian, may have been smuggled into Merville Barracks in Colchester, where the video is said to have been filmed.

Mr Heappey told ITV’s Peston on Wednesday: “I am aware of that clip and it is disgraceful and people sort of say what, it was consensual, that doesn’t matter. The army is an employer for both men and women.

“We want the nation’s brightest and best to serve in our armed forces and we want women serving in the armed forces to know that they’re serving in an environment where they are safe, where they are respected.

“Whatever it was that happened in Colchester, it’s just not appropriate. It’s not the advert for the Army that we would want to show right now."