Joy as Hull man completes the Yorkshire Marathon after learning to walk again

A man who learned to walk and speak again after a devastating brain injury has spoken of his joy at finishing the Yorkshire Marathon.

Matthew Burke, 34, of Hull, completed the 26-mile run in York today, six years after he was seriously injured while working as a scaffolder.

Mr Burke, who was cared for at Hull Royal Infirmary, was among thousands of runners at the event, which raises hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.

Mr Burke told how he was left unable to walk after falling onto a concrete surface.

He said: "It happened in 2012 when I was 28. I was putting up some scaffolding when a ladder gave way.

"I had to learn to do everything again. This is to prove how far I've come in six years. Especially after learning to walk again."

Runners at today's race braved heavy rain as they set off from York University. The event includes a wheelchair race, 10-mile run and a marathon relay.

After crossing the finishing line Mr Burke said: "It's amazing. The atmosphere was great and even all the runners were supporting each other. "