THE son of the Yorkshire Ripper’s first victim has visited Worcester College of Technology.

Richard McCann’s mother Wilma was killed by Peter Sutcliffe in 1975 when Richard was just five years old.

He is now a motivational speaker and bestselling author who tells the story of his troubled life in which he served time in prison for drugs offences.

He recently became president of the Professional Speakers Association.

Mr McCann gave three hour-long talks at the Deansway college aimed at motivating students to have an I can attitude and achieve the best they can.

He said: “I do several colleges a year but Worcester’s students are definitely more expressive and engaging than most. Today’s young adults are faced with a number of challenges with many finding it difficult to find a job.

“It’s times like these that students need inspiring the most, now even more so.

“They need to be able to see that they can succeed.”

Cat Draper, the college’s head of student services, said: “Richard has a very inspirational story to tell, which encourages students to recognise that no matter what barriers they have, they have the ability to create their own success. It can be hard to put a positive spin on the future for young people when the news emphasises decreases in employment opportunities and increases in higher education fees. However, our students are bright and creative and we feel that Richard will be able to reiterate how much can be accomplished if you take control and work hard towards your goals.”

The event was organised by the college to engage and motivate students.