Student Tom King has picked up a national award for his plumbing skills.
Tom, 24, an apprentice at the Grimsby Institute, has won the title of SkillPlumb Champion 2011, as part of the International WorldSkills competitions.
He picked up the award at a ceremony in London in October.
SkillPlumb, is the premier competition for aspiring plumbing apprentices in the UK. Tom performed in the regional heats after his tutor spotted his talent for accurate pipe-work. He went on to the national final, where he beat 10 other finalists with his unprecedented score of 96%.
Tom said: “I really didn’t expect to win. We were asked to spend the four days installing a bathroom suite, which included the fitting of a couple of radiators, a basin, a shower, all of which was really difficult, especially the intricate pipe-work and the bends.
“When I’d finished I looked at some of the work of the other competitors and I thought there were definitely one or two that looked a lot better than mine, so I thought that at best I would get a third or fourth place. I was completely shocked when my name was read out as the winner.
“I’m over the moon and to be honest really chuffed with myself, to win the national final is just an amazing feeling.”
Tom’s tutor, Stephen Hilton, said: “It’s a pleasure to have Tom at the Institute and I very much look forward to taking him through his Level 3 qualification over the next two years, putting the final touches to an already gifted apprentice plumber.
“With these experiences behind him, perhaps Tom can also assist the teaching staff in training the younger apprentices in readiness for future skills competitions.”