A SOLDIER has successfully completed some of the toughest training in the world to become a Royal Marine Commando.
Paul Tennet, 24, from Peterlee, received his coveted green beret at a passing out parade at the Royal Marines' Commando Training Centre in Devon.
The former pupil of Shotton Hall Comprehensive School, in east Durham, said: "Thirty weeks of the most arduous training in the world is enough to change any man. It develops unique qualities, which will rarely be found anywhere.
"It's been a fantastic experience for me and I've made some lifelong friends among my fellow Royal Marines. The sense of achievement felt by all of us is immense, but I know that many more challenges are to come, challenges which we are all well equipped to meet."
Royal Marines have to pass a number of tests to earn their green beret, all done while carrying 32lbs of kit.
They include an aerial assault course set between 5m and 10m high among the trees and finished by climbing a 30ft wall.
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