three-month jail term was told yesterday in Magistrates' Court.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis told 20-year-old Robin A. Woolridge that Regiment duties were "serious and nothing to be played with'' before ordering a social inquiry report to be produced by March 8.

"You're in the army now. Tell the probation officers and let them tell me why you haven't been attending,'' Mr. Francis added. "You heard the prosecutor say that prison seems to be the only right and proper course for you.

"This has been brought to the courts now. Not only military police are interested but now that you are on bail, regular police are involved. A breach of your bail could have you remanded at Westgate.'' Woolridge, of Rockaway, Southampton, pleaded guilty to missing numerous Warwick Camp meetings between October 21 and January 18.

Crown counsel Larry Mussenden listed numerous infractions of military rules Woolridge has accrued since joining the Regiment on January 13, 1998.

Just eight days into his service he was fined for insubordination. Since then he has been penalised for conduct prejudicial to good order, being absent without leave and disobeying orders.

Woolridge was also disciplined for failing to attend 37 duty nights in 1998, and he was given a break by the Commanding Officer and was ordered to repeat his first year of Regiment service a second time recently.

Mr. Mussenden added: "But the Commanding Officer has decided that these offences are so serious that they should be dealt with in these courts.

"The Commanding Officer allowed him to start over but the warnings seemed to have fallen on deaf ears,'' Mr. Mussenden, a Major in the Regiment, said.

He added: "It appears nothing will work except a short, sharp shock. Perhaps a period of incarceration of three months, Your Worship. Nothing else seems to work.''