A SOLDIER who was left facing an uncertain future after coming close to death when he was involved in an horrific motorway crash has told how "life couldn't be better."

Brave Thomas Oliver, 21, of Calder Close, Nelson, spent weeks in intensive care at Burnley General as he battled to regain consciousness following an M65 smash in March.

Thomas, a private in the Royal Engineers, known to friends as Tucker, was just miles from his home when he lost control of his Citroen Saxo on a busy stretch of the motorway.

It has been touch-and-go whether he would ever be well enough to return back to Army life, but after an intensive rehabilitation programme, Thomas is now back living the life he loves best.

He is back at his base in Surrey, where he is attending a re-hab centre five-days a week to build up his strength and fitness.

And tests from a final brain scan last week have finally shown that bleeding from his brain has stopped, so he can return to full duty.

He was due to go to Germany in July after qualifying as an electrical engineer, but this has been put back until after the New Year.

The Fisher-More High School pupil recently got back behind the wheel for the first time and said he never looked back: "I was a bit rusty at first, but I soon got used to driving again. I just took it one step at a time and didn't rush into it.

"People warned me that I might get flash-backs, but nothing like that has happened, which I am glad about. I am just enjoying getting back to normality. At one point, I didn't think it would happen, but it has and I couldn't be happier."