Gavin Williamson

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, announcing the move, said it was aimed at helping to protect soldiers who served in Northern Ireland and Iraq from a “witch-hunt”.

The new unit is expected to examine the possibility of strengthening the presumption of innocence for former soldiers and raising the legal threshold for prosecution, but not the introduction of a new statute of limitations.

Mr Williamson said some of the measures to be examined by the unit “will require legislation” to implement.

He added: “We think we are very close to landing a position where we can make those important steps forward in terms of finding a solution and making sure former and serving personnel will not go through the strain, the worry and the trauma of fearing a knock on their door.”