Britain has raised the maximum recruitment age for the army from 26 to 33, the highest since 1948, Sky news reported on Saturday.

The minimum age for recruits remains at 16 years and six months, but soldiers are not engaged in operations until they are over 18, the report said.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said raising the age limit was simply a move to harmonize the recruitment rules across the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Royal Marines.

"This brings the Army into line with the rest of the services, including the ultra-fit Royal Marines, who have recruited 33-year-olds for some time."

The spokesman fended off speculation that there had been a shortage in army recruits, saying recruitment in the armed forces was up by 16 percent during the past year.

With the new guideline in place, service personnel could be in uniform until the age of 55 under the terms of a normal 22-year engagement.

Source: Xinhua