The Gurkhas are to allow women to join up for the first time, but only if they can carry 55lbs of sand uphill in a wicker basket.

The regiment, which has been a part of the British Army for more than 200 years, will open to women next year and it is thought that the first recruits could be in the UK for training by 2020.

But the notoriously tough selection process, which includes a three mile uphill race known as the "doko" in which they carry 55lbs of sand in a wicker basket attached by a head strap, will not be relaxed for the female hopefuls.

It comes amid plans to increase the 3,000-strong Brigade of Gurkhas by a further 800 troops to help with the Army recruitment crisis, sources told the Sunday Times.

The Gurkhas motto is "Better to die than be a coward" and competition to join the regiment is fierce. Tens of thousands of hopefuls compete for around 250 places each year.

A western salary of more than £18,000 a year, a pension for life and a British passport is seen as a golden ticket which will secure the future for their entire family.

Those wishing to join attend a selection process in Pokhara, central Nepal, and alongside the Doko race, which must be completed in 48 minutes, recruits must be able to perform 75 bench jumps in one minute and 70 sit-ups in two.