A man who rose through the ranks to become a major in the Army is destined to become the 90th mayor of Worthing.

During a 37-year military career, Conservative borough councillor Tom Wye served with the Royal Engineers all over the world.

Coun Wye, who will take over when Nick John's term of office ends in May, was born in London in 1942 but his earliest memories are of Worthing. He lived in Station Road, now under the Co-op car park. His first school was Sussex Road, now the Sidney Walter Centre, and he sang in the choir at St Paul's Church.

His family then moved to Storrington where he completed his education at Rydon County School, leaving at 15 to take up employment at Wiggonholt Farm.

Family circumstances forced him to seek a better job and he joined a building block manufacturing firm, doubling his wages to £20 per week - a fair salary for 1959/60.

With time and money on his hands, Coun Wye got into trouble with the police. He realised if he did not mend his ways, he was heading for a custodial sentence and joined the Army just before his 18th birthday.

He opted for the Royal Engineers on a three-year contract at £7 per week but was soon tempted by an extra 25 shillings to sign on for nine years.

He saw service in Germany, Holland and Belgium before being sent to Aden to construct the Dhala Road in the Radfan mountains.

It was a more mature Sapper Wye who came back two years later in time to see England win the World Cup. He was posted at the Royal School of Military Engineering at Chatham as a Corporal. It was here he met and married Lesley, a Worthing girl.

A posting at Longmoor Camp followed and he worked in Canada, Hong Kong and the UK.

As a Troop Staff Sergeant, Coun Wye took his men to Cyprus to construct a road enabling UN peacekeeping forces to patrol the buffer zone between rival Greek and Turkish forces.

In 1978 Coun Wye was posted to Nepal and spent two "idyllic" years constructing roads in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Four years later, Coun Wye was promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major. He later commanded the Royal Engineers' well-drilling team in Bosnia, Rwanda, Cyprus and Belize before receiving an MBE from the Queen.

Coun Wye completed 37 years in 1997 and carried on working as a Retired Officer for four years.

The family moved back to Worthing in 2000 and Coun Wye, for Marine ward, is now the town's Conservative Party agent.

Coun Wye said the Army "turned him round". Now the council's policy advisor for antisocial behaviour, he is "a true poacher turned gamekeeper".