The British Army will scrap its tradition of housing based on rank, prompting fears that childless officers will quit.

According to the Ministry of Defence the military will move away from rank-based allocation of family accommodation to a model that is needs-based.

Currently the Army appoints housing based on rank and family size, with officers paying more for their housing than soldiers.

However, defence sources told The Telegraph that under the new policy there could be scenarios where “someone of more junior rank could request to live in a larger house in comparison to a higher-ranking individual who has a lower need”.

“It’s about focusing on a needs-based system,” they added. Lord Dannatt, the former head of the army, warned changing the military accommodation system would prove a “tipping point” for many who may end up seeking new careers.

At the end of last year the number of people leaving the Armed Forces had jumped by almost a fifth, amid warnings that substandard accommodation was driving troops out of the military.