A Glusburn teenager paralysed in an accident has vowed to emulate the heroic efforts of a local marathon runner.

Paul Jones, 18, who lives on the Old Hall estate, says he is looking to compete in the London Marathon within the next two years.

The local lad, who cheated death twice while he was in hospital, has been inspired by neighbour Ralph Cooper who gifted his London Marathon medal to Paul after completing the run this year.

Ralph and wife Carol ran the marathon together in around five hours and raised the grand sum of £3,200 for the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA).

Paul has been undergoing treatment at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, since November when he was found lying severely injured in the road at Steeton.

The former South Craven School student, who had began as an apprentice engineer at Wask RMF just six months before his accident, finished his treatment two weeks ago and is now back at home.

"I'm glad to be home again," says Paul, "and I'm looking to the future and hoping to do the wheel chair marathon in the next couple of years.

"What I will have to do is look for some funding to get one of the special wheelchairs that the athletes use in the race.

"I think it is absolutely brilliant that Ralph and Carol completed the marathon and raised all this money for the SIA."

Dad Ken says: "There was a couple of times when it was very touch and go with Paul because he had two cardiac arrests caused by blood clots.

"The doctors were amazed that he survived them and the whole family is just glad to see him back home."

Paul, who was doing an engineering craft course at Keighley College on day release, is hoping to return in the next academic year to start a new course.

Ralph, 59, a lecturer in computer-aided design at Keighley College, says: "Although we did all the training and ran the marathon, Paul's parents Ken and Jean did a huge amount of fundraising for us.

"We had great support from local people in Glusburn and Cross Hills and from employees at Airedale Hospital, Wask RMF and Landis Lund, where Ken works, and from Nelson Airian Male Voice Choir which I'm a member of."

SIA representative John O'Hara, who originally hails from Keighley but now lives in South Yorkshire, received the cheque.

He says: "This is a great boost for us and will go towards the general running of the charity which provides information and peer support for people with spinal injuries."