'My army dream was ended by childhood eye surgery'

Image caption, Lewis Jackson has been blocked from joining the British Army on medical grounds

Lewis Jackson cannot remember a time when he did not want to join the army and continue a family tradition of military service going back to World War One. That dream was shattered, though, when his application was rejected on medical grounds.

"Serving my country has always been a dream of mine and I never considered that I'd do anything else," said the 21-year-old.

Jackson, from Cirencester, was turned down by the Army because he had cataract surgery at the age of three.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said: "Service in the Armed Forces is physically demanding, so it's right that we have sensible health and recruitment policies which maintain operational effectiveness but don't unnecessarily exclude people."