A total of six Regiment soldiers were busted for drugs offences after they returned to the Island from manoeuvres in Jamaica, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

Now the dirty half-dozen -- five drug test failures and one who had marijuana -- are spending 28 days in the guardhouse.

The soldier who had marijuana was caught at the Airport after returning from the Regiment's annual camp. The other five failed tests in Jamaica.

But the figures are a huge improvement on last year's figures, when 13 soldiers were nabbed for being on drugs.

Regiment C.O. Lt-Col. Patrick Outerbridge -- on his first overseas trip in command -- confirmed the figure of six and said any drug problems were serious, but stressed offenders were a tiny minority.

He added: "They just let the side down -- it's very unfortunate.'' But he added: "I'm very pleased with the way the camp went. Normally, you get scuffles on rest and recreation, but we had nothing else. This was all I had to deal with.'' Regiment Adjutant Capt. Eddie Lamb said: "It's very disappointing -- it detracts from the very positive, hard work that the others have done.'' But he said: "We have a zero tolerance for drugs because we can't have people tampering with mind-altering substances when they are handling lethal weapons -- we have to protect our other soldiers.'' The six -- all part of the second group of 170 soldiers to take part in the gruelling annual camp in the Caribbean -- were jailed after coming back to Bermuda last weekend.

Capt. Lamb said: "We warn the soldiers repeatedly before they go to Jamaica, on the plane and when they get off the plane in Jamaica.

"Some have obviously chosen to disregard our warnings, were caught and are suffering the consequences.'' But the numbers caught amount to around two percent of the 320 Regiment men who went to Jamaica.

The 150-strong group which went on the first leg of the annual camp all got back into Bermuda without incident.

And that is a significant improvement on last year, when 11 soldiers were caught with drugs in Jamaica and two on their return to the Island.

The record also compares well with similar trips by UK regiments, which have suffered increasing drugs problems in recent years.

Capt. Lamb said: "We recognise that, despite everything, there will always be some foolhardy soldiers who test the waters.

"But we have measures in place to catch these people and we do catch them.'' Drugs offences remain on a soldier's record throughout their Regiment career.

But Capt. Lamb said that the Regiment never gave up on their recruits and a drugs offence was not necessarily a career disaster.

He added: "If a soldier turns himself around, we will not hold it against him.

"We have had soldiers who were totally incorrigible, but reached their potential, made restitution for their behaviour and have been rewarded for that.'' Last year, 26 soldiers got into trouble either during or after the trip to Jamaica, half of them on charges not related to drugs.

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