I OWE THOUSANDS FOR EYE OP TO BE GARDA... BUT THEN THEY REJECTED ME

Jack was desperate to join, but now warns others off it

- BY DANNY DE VAAL

A YOUNG man who underwent laser eye surgery in order to pass the Garda medical exam has been left devastated after he was rejected - more than two years after first applying.

Jack Clifford said the entire process has left him incredibly frustrated and said he's now stuck paying back a loan of thousands of euro for an operation he didn't really need.

The 23-year-old was flying through all the stages of the recruitment process, but realised he would fail the medical exam because his level of vision was slightly off.

Since the Limerick man had passed all the other stages, he decided to undergo laser eye surgery and took out a five-year loan, which he didn't mind doing because he knew he would be able to pay it off once he became a Garda.

Garda bosses confirmed Jack passed the medical exams but the young man said he was strung along for months before eventually being told in January he had been unsuccessful - but no exact reason was given as to why.