Army recruit hurt by drill stick

An army recruit has been seriously injured by a drill training stick that was broken.

Dominic Christopher-Baskeyfield, 18, of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was left unconscious at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire.

The teenager has come out of a six-day coma after surgeons removed a blood clot and treated blisters on his brain.

It is alleged the recruit was injured when a broken, brass-tipped stick used for drill training was thrown.

Mr Christopher-Baskeyfield has been transferred from intensive care to a normal ward at the James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough.

His family are with him MoD spokeswoman

He is able to breathe unaided and talk, but remains seriously ill, an Army spokesman said.

It is understood the injured recruit had been in the Staffordshire Regiment for just two weeks when the incident happened on the three-month basic training course.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said the Royal Military Police (RMP) were investigating the incident.

"We can confirm that a recruit at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick is in hospital," she said.

"His family are with him, and the RMP are investigating the circumstances that may have led to the injuries sustained by the individual."