The Armed Forces has unacceptable levels of sexism, racism and bullying because it is led by a "pack of white middle-aged men", a major new report has said.

The most in-depth study ever commissioned for the British military says “an unacceptable level of inappropriate behaviour persists” in the forces.

The report, by Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston, the incoming Chief of the Air Staff, describes the leadership of the RAF, Army and Navy as a "generation not used to having people from other diversity groups serving along side them" and says their behaviours are "shaped by an armed forces of 20 years ago"

The paper was commissioned in April after allegations of sexual harassment in the Army led the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, to produce a three-minute film in which he blasted behaviours “wildly at odds” with the standards expected from soldiers.

It recommends all senior officers from Brigadier (or Service equivalent) be sent on mandatory diversity training courses and calls for the appointment of a culture and behaviour tsar to lead a team of up to 50 personnel, responsible for the overall strategy and day to day management of complaints.

"Tackling inappropriate behaviour is about the determination of leaders to change the culture; everything else hangs off that," the report says.