TROOPS coming home to Abingdon from Germany next month will be housed up to 40 miles away due to a shortage of homes at the base.

About 120 soldiers from the 43 Close Support Squadron are to join its parent unit 12 Logistic Support Regiment at Dalton Barracks in January.

But single soldiers will live in Bicester, and those with families will stay in quarters in Arborfield, south of Reading in Berkshire.

Army Families Federation spokesman Catherine Spencer yesterday said the commute was further than the 20 miles recommended in Government guidelines.

But she said the cost of private housing near the Abingdon base was too expensive for the cash-strapped Ministry of Defence.

She said: “It is really unfortunate these families are going to be placed so far away but it is probably the best they could have done. They cannot magic-up an army quarters without spending a phenomenal amount of money.”

She said the organisation had not yet taken calls from concerned families, adding: “It maybe not until they are back in the UK and making that long journey every day that it will become clear how arduous it is.”

The MoD confirmed the move from Gütersloh last week.

The soldiers will be the first batch of 20,000 UK troops based in Germany to come home as the Government hopes to bring home 21 per cent of its 20,000 overseas troops by 2015.

Mrs Spencer added: “Our concern is this is just the tip of the iceberg.

“We have a lot of units to come back and we are yet to see a thorough plan as to how they are going to be housed close to the place they work.”

Abingdon Town Council leader Sandy Lovatt, who retired from the Royal Corps of Signals as Major in 1988, said: “As an ex-soldier I really sympathise with the troops.

“It would be much better for soldiers’ morale to be near their families. Bicester is an acceptable distance because most soldiers drive but Arborfield is quite a long way.”

MoD spokesman Chris Fletcher said the squadron had to be based with its parent unit.

He said: “The army will alleviate any concern over commuting by providing transport from these locations.”

He said allowances would be available to anyone struggling to make the journey.