A former homeless man is among the soldiers passing-out after successfully completing their basic army training.

Signaller Paul Fenton, was living in a hostel in Leeds when he was among a group of homeless people given the chance to spend a day with the army last October.

He signed on straight afterwards and has proved one of the best recruits on the 11-week basic training course held at Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire.

Paul Fenton has also been reunited with his family since joining up

Paul is the first person to enter the ranks as a result of a recruiting campaign which targeted the homeless.

He was recommended to the army by the local social services as likely to be suitable.

The army says he has proved a good recruit, scoring especially highly in shooting and PT. He will now spend four months training as a signaller.

He has also been reunited with his parents, who are expected to attend his passing-out parade.

Recruiting the homeless is one of a series of initiatives launched to ease undermanning which has left the army 5,000 under strength.

The army says many of the homeless are simply victims of circumstance and there is no reason why they should not make good soldiers.
 

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