At the age of 15, Bill Angus's English teacher refused to enter him for English literature O-level due to his lack of application.

By this year, the situation has completely changed, as Bill will graduate today with a first class BA (Hons) degree in English studies and gain the Cecil M Yuill Award for highest achievement in any field of study.

Bill is now studying for a one-year masters degree in literary studies, writing, memory and culture in Newcastle, and is hoping to follow this with a PhD.

He eventually aims to write academic English texts for other students.

Father-of-five Bill, 36, from Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, left school with three O-levels in English language, maths and computing.

He said: "I was good at English language, but didn't like the books chosen for literature so Ididn't work at it. I wasn't interested in the academic side of school. I was more interested in punk rock."

After gaining three more O-levels at Kirby College, Bill pursued his passion for punk by joining a four-piece band, mostly known as Cassius. Bill was singer and lead guitarist, and toured the UK for 16 years.

He said: "We never made any money and had to have a lot of stamina, but I enjoyed the gigs."

When the group split up four years ago, Bill spent six months running a fruit shop, which made him consider a return to learning.

He said: "I felt desperate in the shop and decided to apply for an English degree as a mature student. I'd kept reading on the road. I enjoyed Russian authors, such as Solzhenitsyn and Dostoyevsky.

"Studying Shakespeare for the first time at Teesside was a revelation. All the characters were experiencing human emotions.

"I now look at literature in a different way.

"The lecturers were excellent and supportive, and the university's Learning Resource Centre is a great working environment. I was painfully swotty."

Bill gained First Class marks throughout his degree, even during his second year when he worked night shifts as a directory inquiries operator.