The Ministry of Defence has quashed claims that it has had to recruit Commonwealth soldiers to boost its numbers.

“Any Commonwealth citizen has the right to apply for the British army,” a spokeswoman for the MoD said.

She claimed that Commonwealth soldiers might opt for the British army because their own army might be “more static” and may not offer as much opportunity for operational tours as its British counterpart.

Recruitment from Commonwealth countries, which include Fiji, Ghana and the Caribbean, increased by 75% last year, a Liberal Democrat defence spokesman told The Guardian – accounting for 12% of the total recruits.

The MoD spokeswoman also denied that the recent conflict in Iraq had put people off a career in the army. There were shortages within some regiments such as the Royal Logistics Corps and among infantry soldiers, she said.

The MoD has ordered a recruitment freeze for regiments that have filled their quotas of staff.