A British Army general has been forced to step down, the Telegraph has reported.

Major-General Chris Bell is understood to have been summoned to Army Headquarters at the Marlborough Lines in Andover before Christmas, where he learned of the decision that he must resign his commission.

The 48-year-old has now stepped down from his role as General Officer Commanding Army Recruitment and Initial Training Command.

Following his departure from the Army, Major-General Bell has been replaced as General Officer Commanding Army Recruitment and Initial Training Command by Major-General Sharon Nesmith.

She is the first woman to command as a two-star general in the British Army, and will oversee a budget of over £200m to recruit and train regular and reserve members of the Army.

An Army spokesperson told the Telegraph: “Major-General Chris Bell has retired from the Army.

“We are not prepared to release any personal information about this individual. We have a duty under both common law and statute to protect the personal information of all those who serve or have served in the Army.”