A FEMALE officer cadet was found dead in her room at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in an apparent suicide.

The unnamed 21-year-old was discovered at 3pm on Wednesday and is believed to be the first female suicide at the academy in Berkshire.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman confirmed yesterday that the incident had occurred and Thames Valley Police is investigating the death.

“Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time,” he added.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said the death is being treated as “unexplained but non-suspicious” and that the next of kin have been notified.

Sandhurst is the training centre for all officers in the British army as well as military personnel from other countries.

The British army website describes it as “one of the world’s toughest and most revered military training academies” with a motto of “Serve to Lead.”

The trainee officer was in the senior term of the year-long course and was due to be commissioned in April.

She was involved in a minor disciplinary investigation over a party last weekend where she spent the night elsewhere instead of returning to the barracks.

The cadet had also been receiving mental health support following an event earlier in her training.

In 2003, 26-year-old officer cadet Martin Pybus killed himself in his room at Sandhurst – only 24 hours before the Sovereign’s Parade that would have marked the end of his training.

Many famous graduates have passed through the elite academy including Princes William and Harry, former prime minister Winston Churchill, British Union of Fascists leader Oswald Mosley and foreign royals such as King Hussein of Jordan.