TWO fed-up squaddies are facing a carpeting after thinking: "Blow this for a game of soldiers" during a night-time exercise.

The Army's motto, Be The Best, did not carry much weight with the pair, who decided they had had enough after the exercise in the rain.

Sick of the freezing conditions on the Moors, they dumped their kit and marched back to the warmth of their barracks.

Not surprisingly, they had not informed anyone and when their backpacks were discovered, their disappearance sparked a full-scale alert.

The troops were part of a unit from the Infantry Training Centre, at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, which marched onto nearby Feldom Moor on Tuesday night.

A search began when their packs were discovered in the early hours of the morning and, although neither of the recruits had been issued with a weapon, local police were informed as a precaution.

However, the trainees were later found back at base - and they can expect to be reminded that they are in the Army now.

A spokesman for the Infantry Training Centre said yesterday: "I can confirm two trainees from the ITC at Catterick Garrison left their posts during an exercise on the Feldom Ranges in the early hours of Wednesday morning and returned to their barracks.

"A full investigation is now being held after which disciplinary action, if appropriate, may be taken."