A MAN who suffered life threatening injuries after falling from a ladder has credited walking football club for kick-starting his return to health.

Paul Westley, 67, from Chipping Norton retired to live France when he fell from an extended ladder while cutting a large bough from an Acacia tree.

His injuries were life-threatening, leaving him unable to use his left arm and with a shattered left leg. It took two years before he was able to walk again.

Having returned to Oxfordshire Mr Westley believed the severity of his injuries, which included a reconstructed left leg and a titanium plate in his right ankle, meant his sporting days were over.

But walking football sessions at Windrush Leisure Centre in Witney and at Chipping Norton Leisure Centre gave him the opportunity to be active again.

He added: “I had lost significant fitness and muscle strength, while spending considerable time lying on my back, in a wheelchair and then crutches.

“It had a detrimental effect on my mental well-being.

“The initial session has led to a weekly ‘pick me up’ which is better than any medicine or therapy.”

For more information about Walking Football in West Oxfordshire contact Windrush Leisure Centre on 01993 202020 or Chipping Norton Leisure Centre on 01608 644412.