The army is telling prospective recruits on social media that it is OK to cry, have feelings and pray.

Teaser animations on YouTube with the strapline “Army Belonging 2018” were shared unofficially yesterday. They prompted howls of protest from former soldiers who described the clips as ridiculous political correctness.

“Morale will fall through the floor,” one former officer said. “It is awful.”

Army sources said that the content of the adverts, which will be launched officially on Saturday as part of a television and online recruitment campaign, was based on market research. They are designed to attract more women and more black, Asian, minority ethnic (Bame) recruits, two key audiences for the army which is more than 4,000 soldiers short of its target of 82,000.