A MUM is supporting her daughter who chose to swap reading schoolbooks to driving tanks.

Aimee Buxton, from Witham, chose to leave Maltings Academy after her first year of A Levels to join the army.

Aimee, 17, from Cherry Tree Rise, is currently at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.

The college is taking part in a Channel 5 documentary, called Raw Recruits, which films young recruits having an eye-opening introduction into army life.

Aimee's mum, Joanne Taylor, said the programme has received negative press as people think the teens are too young, but she supports her daughter's decision.

She said: "One day she decided she wanted to leave school and join the army- she absolutely loves it, she is home at the end of the month on holiday.

"There is a long and short course which each have two phases.

"The short course is for army medics, but Aimee is on the long course as she wants to be in the Royal Artillery.

"She wants to look after the Queen's horses as she has always loved them."

The programme is for people aged between 16 and 18.

She started in March in the Waterloo Training Company, and Mrs Taylor said for the first six weeks the recruits were not allowed phones.

She said: "It's knocking them down to build them up.

"She also on the boxing team and start days with education, they also do a lot of tactical exercises so there's a lot of sleep deprivation.

"They also help on community projects like building sensory gardens for people with learning disabilities.

"It's not so bad now as once they have established themselves they are allowed their phones back at night so we speak a lot."

In February she will start phase two of her training in Wiltshire, where she will learn to drive a tank.

Episode four will be aired on Channel 5 at 9pm on Monday, October 24.