A MAN with dyslexia, who became an award-winning apprentice, has urged people not to let the condition hold them back.

David Airey, 22, from Blackburn, was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was a five-year-old pupil at Meadowhead Junior School, Anglesey Street.

He had one-to-one tuition for most of his primary school years, and then went on to Darwen Vale High School.

At 16, David got an apprenticeship with East Lancashire Coachbuilders in Blackburn and spent four years on the shop floor, whilst studying with Training 2000 which has branches in Blackburn and Rawtenstall.

After his apprenticeship he joined the design team as an engineer, where he still works, coming up with new ideas as well as working in the firm's manufacturing project, which involves educating other employees.

His tutors there were so impressed they nominated him for the national Advanced Apprentice of the Year award. He came runner-up and was presented with his award by the BBC's Natasha Kaplinsky at a ceremony at the London Hilton.

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that manifests primarily as a difficulty with written language, particularly with reading and spelling. Evidence suggests that dyslexia results