THE number of new recruits joining the Army has been rising in recent weeks, with 18 enlisiting in one day.

The Worcester Army Careers Information Office, in Foregate Street, has seen a sudden surge of 16 to 24-year-olds applying to sign up, taking the total of new recruits who have been enlisted into the Army since the beginning of April to 76 - a 20 per cent increase on last year.

Senior recruiter Lloyd Bath said: "We are having a very good year.

"I think it's because we now go out to Kidderminster, Redditch, Evesham and Malvern - all the surrounding areas of Worcester - and, from that perspective, people now know who we are and where we are.

"They can learn very good trades and get a very good education in the Army."

He also said that part of this year's recruiting success was down to providing a personal touch with youngsters wanting to sign up.

"When we recruit we look at the individual," he said.

"We will never push anybody into a job they don't want to do, but a lot come in with an idea of what they want to go into anyway."

Recruiters have also been inundated with applications to join the Army from school leavers since exam results have come out.

They have just enlisted 20 juniors (16 and 17-year-olds) for September and have got another 16 to enlist in January.

Although the majority of the intake are male, about 40 women have gone through the application process this year.

The new recruits will now be sent to a number of locations across the country to start their training.