Redcar and Cleveland College is used to giving one-to-one coaching in numeracy and literacy to some students.

But the help offered to building crafts student Denise Fines was a first.

She had to have her own support worker to talk her through her fear of heights before she would even put a foot on a ladder.

The 45-year-old's phobia of heights surfaced when she was assessed on her newly-learned skills of tiling, plastering and bricklaying.

"Because much of the course is group work, she always managed to avoid climbing a ladder and got other people to do it, until it came to her assessment," said college spokesman Andy Williams.

When her fear became known, lecturer Paul Topham, while being sympathetic, told her if she could not climb a ladder she could not pass her NVQ.

College support worker Julie Pink allotted her a couple of hours every week, for two terms, encouraging her by degrees to climb a ladder.

"We give one-to-one in literacy and numeracy, but we had to give her one-to-one in psychology, which was something different," said Mr Williams.

Ms Fines, who had once thought nothing of riding on roller coasters, lost confidence after the birth of her three children. But she has now achieved her NVQ1 in building crafts.

Mr Topham said: "I'm proud that she's combated her fear of heights. She is a credit to herself and the college.''