A MALVERN man who was told he would never walk again has completed an HND in health and social care.

Paul Bagley, aged 42, of Hawkwood Close, attended University College Worcester as a mature student after fighting the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis.

Mr Bagley was a hard-working projects manager for a bank when the disease struck in 1999.

It was just another ordinary day at work until one of his legs became totally numb. Four days later, he was paralysed from the neck down.

Mr Bagley was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the body's nervous system.

A scan revealed he had unknowingly lived with the disease for around 10 years.

"I suddenly found myself being pumped full of steroids as part of my treatment and basically told I would never walk again," he said.

"It was like being in a pit with no way out. I was told I would never walk again and that my illness was incurable. These cold, hard facts were totally demoralising."

But Mr Bagley was determined to find a way forward and by continuing with the treatment, remaining mentally tough and changing his diet, he eventually walked again with the aid of crutches and returned to his bank job.

But his outlook on life had changed. He wanted to work in the health and social care field, which is why he returned to college.

"It was a bit frightening because I hadn't picked up a book in 20 years," he said. "But I found myself getting back into it."

Now, two years later, Mr Bagley is graduating with an HND on Friday, and will study for a further year on a top-up degree course.

He gets around using a stick, and in his spare time works with Worcestershire Association of Service Users, which helps people with varying disabilities.

"Hopefully, what I've done will prove that people with disabilities can turn their lives around and really achieve things," he said.

l Determined: Paul Bagley.