British troops banned from paying for sex while on mission abroad

The UK government has taken a stricter approach and has banned British troops from paying for prostitutes while overseas.

The Ministry of Defence announced the new policies on Tuesday, adding that the new policies will prohibit and prevent unacceptable sexual behaviour in the Armed Forces.

The second policy ensures that there will be zero tolerance for unacceptable sexual behaviour. Personnel found to have engaged in any kind of "transactional sex" may face dismissal from the forces.

"When undertaking defence activity outside the UK, defence people are prohibited from undertaking transactional sex at all times," says the policy on Zero Tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. The ban will not be applicable in the UK, where domestic law will take precedence.

Senior officials have also been banned from having sexual relationships with junior ranks. It now "prohibits all sexual activity which involves the abuse of power, including buying sex whilst abroad."

"The policy will ensure that every allegation will be responded to, no matter where the allegation takes place, and introduces a presumption of discharge for anyone found to be engaging in the targeted behaviours, including buying sex whilst deployed outside the UK," it added.

The policy says that there will be a "presumption of discharge" for any person who has "behaved in a sexually unacceptable way."

The ban comes as British soldiers come under heavy scrutiny following a damning parliamentary report that detailed evidence of sexual harassment experienced by servicewomen in the British military.

The UK is one of only 16 countries in the world that enlists people from the age of 16. The report revealed that a record number of teenage girls have been victims of sexual assault and rape while training in the last year, writes VICE.

The soldiers had also come under renewed scrutiny in 2012 after a British soldier was accused of murdering a 21-year-old sex worker, Agnes Wanjiru, in Kenya.

The media reports claimed that a soldier had admitted to killing the woman and dumping her body in a septic tank at the Lions Court hotel, Nanyuki. However, the case has not found its closure yet.

Nanyuki hosts a British army base used to train troops before deployment in Afghanistan.