Military chiefs are now resorting to a "shock tactic" to stop thousands of women in the forces from binge-drinking - or having six or more units of alcohol on one occasion. The ministry produced a hard-hitting advertisement after discovering that the "beer-swilling" servicewomen are running a health risk.

Advertisements in Soldier magazine feature the slogan "Does My Bum Look Big in This?" against the photograph of a pint glass made to look like a woman with a large bottom. It also asks: "Are You Drinking to Excess?"

"We are determined to show there is no place for excess drinking in the British Army and shock tactics are a great way to get the message across to both men and women," a source was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.

The campaign comes after a recent ministry of defence survey showed as many as 23,000 members of the armed forces - around one in seven - were drinking "hazardous and harmful" levels of alcohol.

The study also showed those who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan are 22 percent more likely to develop serious drinking problems than other troops. There are around 18,000 women in the forces, making up nine percent of the total of the Britain's service personnel.
Last year, the ministry had launched similar ads in Soldier magazine, featuring the slogan "Lager, Lager, LARGER!" in a bid to stop male soldiers binge-drinking.

One showed a pint glass made to look like a bloated torso with a bulging tummy and droopy man boobs and also asked: "Are you drinking to excess?"