A MEDWAY Army cadet leader in his 20s has been suspended over an alleged relationship with a girl cadet aged between 16 and 18.

The unnamed junior officer has been temporarily suspended while Kent Army Cadet Force (KAFC) carries out an investigation.

The girl is above the age of consent but KACF officials say that such a relationship would break the force's code of ethics and could lead to an officer in this situation being asked to resign.

However, the KACF stresses the allegations are unsubstantiated and suspension is standard practice while an inquiry is carried out.

A KACF spokesman said: "There are allegations that this officer is having an intimate relationship with a cadet. If they were true it would break the ethos of the ACF, that a relationship between a youth leader and a cadet, even over 16, is not normally deemed acceptable.

"It would be considered inappropriate in the same way as a teacher having a relationship with a sixth former."

The ACF says it will not identify the two involved on confidentiality grounds and certainly not while the inquiry continues. It is not known how long that investigation will take.