A STRUGGLING North Yorkshire farmer has been forced to give up life on the farm - and has become a prize-winning plumber.

Richard Edmondson, 42, of Fossfield Lane, Acaster Malbis, York, had been a farmer since the day he left school, and ran the family farm at Appleton Roebuck for ten years.

But a couple of years ago the state of the industry meant that Richard could not go on any longer.

He said: "There's just no money in farming any more. You have to survive, don't you. Farming couldn't support us, so I had to work out what else I could do just to make a living."

Richard went back to school to learn a trade. He had always done his own plumbing work, and signed up at York College in September 2001 to do an NVQ in plumbing, alongside 16-year-olds starting out in their careers. He said: "It was difficult, the thought of going back, and doing written work again after all these years."

He has been a great success, and was nominated for an award for top plumbing students and won a £100 prize from suppliers Plumb Center.

Tutor Tom Pearce said: "Richard is an excellent example and thoroughly deserves his award. Qualified plumbing and heating installers are in demand."

Richard is now self-employed and works part-time while at college.

He said: "I'm enjoying my second career. It's always different, every day you meet new people and learn something new.

He added: "I'm mainly getting experience so far though, we aren't all millionaires like you hear."

But the income means the family can continue running their own farm on a much smaller scale - for now at least.

He said: "We would love to keep an interest in the farm, but the way things are going in the industry we don't know if we will even be able to do that for much longer."

Updated: 10:50 Saturday, February 15, 2003