A FORMER steel erector who survived a near-fatal fall is now chalking up success in the classroom.

David Hatton was working on a roof when it collapsed. He plunged 20ft on to concrete, shattering his ribs and puncturing his lung.

After surviving the fall and leaving hospital he was taken ill again following complications.

"I had to have major surgery and was in intensive care again," said the 43-year-old single man, from Richmond.

Unable to work and having left school with no qualifications, Mr Hatton decided to enrol at Darlington College of Technology to study basic computing, English and maths.

Over the past two years he has gained ten distinctions and a merit on an HNC mechatronics course. This year he has won two awards - the Cummins prize for HNC mechanical and electrical engineering and the college's HNC Mechatronics award, to be presented to him in November.

He has just embarked on his next course, a mechatronics HND, which includes studying further maths.

"I always struggled at school with the academic side," said Mr Hatton. "My spelling was atrocious and since the accident I've found out that I am mildly dyslexic.

"I ended up working in a garage then becoming a steel erector, which was ironic as I'm scared of heights."

Mr Hatton hopes to get a job involving maths or computing.

"It's all been very surprising for me and a bit overwhelming at times," he said. "What happened wasn't very nice but if I hadn't have fallen I would never have known I had this talent."