A Melksham man who terrified diners when he brandished a gun in a town centre caf has escaped a prison term for a second time, after failing to carry out community service.

Geoffrey Chislett was told to clean up his life by a judge last May. Sentencing him to 200 hours' community service, Judge Peter Thomas said: "You had better learn, otherwise you are going to be in serious trouble. Then you won't have someone saying it is stupid horseplay, but that you are an evil young man and must go to prison for a long time."

Almost a year on Chislett, now 20, was back before the court as he had completed less than 125 hours of the order, which had 30 hours added to it when he twice failed to turn up for work.

Chislett went into the Farmhouse Caf, High Street, Melksham, with friends in December 2001, when he was extremely drunk, rowdy and noisy and waved the gun about.

Chislett, of King Street, admitted breaching the community service order. The court heard that he had not turned up for work because of illness, he had stopped drinking heavily, had not committed any further offences and had been working hard.

Imposing a fresh 125 hour community service order Recorder Tim Lamb QC said: "For the second time in your life you are standing in the dock for an offence with a maximum sentence of 10 years. I am going to give you a chance to show the probation service you can repay the faith they have in you. I don't know if you'll get another chance."