A HOCKEY coach has taken a job at a school after becoming fed up of the stick he received in his previous job as a tax inspector.

Middlesbrough player and coach Chris Gregory, who has started work at Barnard Castle School, County Durham, spent eight years collecting taxes, and getting more than his fair share of abuse from unwilling customers.

"I think I have been called every name under the sun," said Mr Gregory, who plays for Marton Furness Hockey Club.

"I was extremely unpopular and one of the reasons I left was that just about every phone call, every contact, was generally unpleasant and it was making me miserable."

Mr Gregory, who is due to marry girlfriend Helen Whiley in June, now spends his time outdoors teaching hockey to girls and boys of all ages and levels.

It has also allowed him to fulfil another dream and return to university, where he is studying for a degree in sports and exercise.

He said: "I really enjoy hockey and cannot believe I am now getting paid for something I love."