Eleven plus failure Alan Walsh is something of a late developer.

As a schoolboy, he flunked his eleven plus and left school at 15 with no qualifications.

But at the age of 58 he has a string of letters after his name, after putting himself through three university courses.

He has graduated three times over, racking up an LLB (honours degree in law), an MA in Criminal Justice Studies and finally a Masters in Human Rights law.

Mr Walsh, who lives in Baildon, has clocked up his academic accomplishments despite suffering two heart attacks.

The former police sergeant retired on medical grounds after completing his first law degree in his own time, but has continued with his studies at Leeds Metropolitan and Leeds universities, as well as acting as carer to wife Frances, who suffers from a rare disorder.

She said: "I hope Alan's story will be an encouragement to anyone who is studying and coping with health problems at the same time. I am so proud of him, and all he has achieved in spite of all the problems he has had to surmount."

After failing his 11 plus, Mr Walsh was sent to the then Cottingley Manor secondary modern school where one of his contemporaries was Peter Sutcliffe, later to become the Yorkshire Ripper. Their paths would cross again when Sgt Walsh was involved in the massive operation to hunt down the serial killer.

Mr Walsh left school to work at Busby's department store in Manningham Lane, helping empty cash from the famous tubular cash system, and joined the police force at the age of 24.

"My only academic achievement after leaving school was in 1969, when I gained an O level in English at Shipley College at the age of 23," said Mr Walsh.

"It was my teacher there, Janet Davies, who noticed my potential and encouraged me to seek higher education, but I didn't take her advice for a further 15 years. I took the legal examinations required for promotion to sergeant and inspector, which stimulated an interest in the law. The rest, as they say, is history."