AN APPLEBY man has just won two awards for best cadet in training for the King's Own Royal Border Regiment.

Danny Gasgarth, 19, won the award for the best recruit after an 11-week basic training course at Glencourse, Scotland.

Mr Gasgarth then went on to do a further 11-week course in infantry training at Catterick, where he again won the honour of best recruit and was presented with a tankard.

Before joining the Army, Mr Gasgarth completed a two-year NVQ course in Sport and Recreation activity at Appleby Training and Heritage Centre.

He said: "The course brought out the best in me, like leadership and organisation, and encouraged me to have a career in the armed forces.

My ambition now is to go as far as I can in the Army.

"They encourage you to learn a trade while you are in the Army and with the qualifications I've already got, I'm hoping to be able to train as an outdoor instructor."

Mr Gasgarth, who had never been abroad before, has just been posted to Cyprus for 18 months where he will join his regiment, patrolling the ceasefire line.

He will also be undertaking further training in the Falkland Islands and in Jordan before heading off to the steamy jungles of Belize.