The Government has revealed the five infantry battalions it will axe under its military cuts.

They are the 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh, 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment and 3rd Battalion the Mercian Regiment.

There were cries of "shame" as Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: "These withdrawals and mergers, unwelcome as I know they will be in the units affected, are fair and balanced and have been carefully structured to minimise the impact of the regular manpower reduction and maximise the military effectiveness of the Army."

The regular Army will be cut from 102,000 troops to 82,000 by the end of the decade, its lowest level since the Napoleonic Wars.

The plan, known as Army 2020, is expected to see it split into two, with a reaction force, ready to respond to emergencies around the globe, and an adaptable force, capable of carrying out a range of tasks and commitments.

Hammond has said the changes - drawn up by Lieutenant General Nick Carter - will provide the basis of a smaller, more flexible and agile Army in the future.

He acknowledged that some "difficult" decisions have had to be made but said that cuts could not be avoided.