The discovery came to light after a Freedom of Information request was made by Sky News for the data which covers September 26, 2018 to September 30, 2019.

More than 1,000 rounds of ammunition and eight rifles were stolen by thieves from an army cadet facility in Merseyside, while two rifles were taken from a Reserve Centre. It’s understood that another rifle was lost during a training exercise in Wales.

It’s not known whether the items have been recovered.

As well as the weapons, other items stolen from the armed forces include a mountain bike, more than £1,000 in cash, a camera, vehicle batteries and body armour.

These items are still missing although MOD officials did recover stolen motorcycle clothing and equipment.

On top of this, 210 laptops, 80 USB sticks and 30 computers were also stolen between October 2018 and September 2019.

Weapons and MOD technology have appeared on the internet before, raising concerns they could fall into the wrong hands.

An MOD spokesman said security is taken extremely seriously.

He explained: ‘We have robust procedures to deter and prevent losses and thefts, as well as precautions to ensure devices cannot be accessed by unauthorised parties.

‘We have large numbers of devices right across the world, and whilst it is impossible to stop all losses, all incidents are recorded so lessons can be learnt and disciplinary action or prosecution taken when necessary.’

A spokesperson for the Gun Control Network, which calls for tighter gun control, said he cannot recall the military announcing that they had recovered the stolen items.

In November, Peter Laidler, a former army corporal, 72, was sent to prison for three years for stealing weaponry from the Small Arms School Collection in Wiltshire.