A South Lakes soldier has appeared at Carlisle Crown Court after ammunition was found in his bedroom at home.

Christopher Walker, 24, of Kent Close, Bowston, near Kendal, had previously admitted illegal possession of 59 rounds of full metal jacket machine gun ammunition and a military smoke grenade.

It was found when police carried out a routine search at Walker’s home after he was caught with a pouch of amphetamine at the Loft nightclub in Kendal on August 23.

Walker, of the 2nd battalion Duke of Lancaster's Regiment based in Weeton, north of Preston, for four years, had taken the ammunition from a pre-deployment training camp in the Brecon Beacons, Wales, when he failed to empty his day bag after a training session.

He was due to be sentenced today but the case had to be adjourned when it emerged that Walker had no barrister to represent him.

Judge Peter Hughes QC said he was concerned by Walker's claim that soldiers accidentally went home with ammunition so often that the Army had "amnesty boxes" in which they could return it anonymously.

He said he wanted a report from Walker's commanding officer to confirm whether or not that was true.

Prosecuting counsel Tim Evans said it was "strongly in this young man's interests" to obtain legal representation.

He said Walker's "military background is not of the cleanest", containing as it did "a significant period of being absent without leave."

Walker will now be sentenced on November 15.

In the meantime he was allowed unconditional bail.