PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak’s election pledge to bring back National Service would help tackle knife crime and anti-social behaviour, according to a veteran.

Andrew Gannon, 64, believes joining the Army at 16 “saved his life” after he started getting involved in trouble and falling in with the wrong crowd.

The veteran has backed Mr Sunak’s plan to bring back the scheme and is confident it would help tackle a national crisis around knife crime and get teenagers on the “straight and narrow”.

Echo: Veteran - Andrew Gannon Veteran - Andrew Gannon (Image: Andrew Gannon)

The Conservatives pledged to reintroduce a form of national service for 18 year olds which would involve community volunteering or military training for a year. Under National Service, from 1947 to 1960, young men aged between 17 and 21 had to serve in the armed forces for 18 months Mr Gannon, now Billericay Royal British Legion chairman, said: “Joining at 16 really did help me, it gave me discipline as I absolutely hated going to school, which got me into trouble frequently.

“When I was in the military, I really loved it, I would have three meals a day, I got some money and eventually I never looked back. I started training in 1975 and left years later.

“I helped me get my head sorted, it gave me a career and I think there is a benefit to bringing it back.

“I was brought up in a gang culture and a lot of that is the same now, you have stabbings and groups pitted against each other, it’s incredibly violent and one year in the army wouldn’t do any harm.”

Despite Mr Gannon’s backing of the proposals, Echo readers have been divided with 60 per cent responding “no” to a Twitter poll asking if National Service should be brought back.

However Echo reader Thornton Stuart supports the idea. He said: “In Singapore it’s the same and it does contribute to some discipline which arguably the UK youth could do with.

“However suddenly announcing it at an election with no prior public consultation and seemingly no deep thought nor planning into the how, what, where smacks of desperation regardless of political leaning.”

John Hockston added: “It’s about time these days those from 17 up to 40 should do National Service because there is no respect anymore.”