AN ARMY veteran who suffered depression after he was crushed by a lorry's tailgate has thanked Help for Heroes for giving him a new lease of life.

Chris Yates trained as a mountain bike instructor while serving as a mechanic with 25 Regiment, Royal Engineers and loved the outdoors life.

But the 30-year-old suffered life-changing injuries after a tailgate fell off as he was lowering it and hit him - leaving him with prolapsed discs, narrowed spinal canal and severe nerve pain together with paralysed bladder and kidney damage.

Unable to come to terms with his injuries, the father-of-three fell into depression.

He also suffered recurring kidney infections requiring regular hospital visits - making life difficult for wife Sam, as their youngest daughter was just three-months-old at the time.

But relocating to Catterick Garrison from Cambridgeshire has benefited all the family.

Mrs Yates’ relatives live in County Durham, so she has more support, while Mr Yates has found a new lease of life through the Help for Heroes recovery centre, Phoenix House.

“On discharge from the Army, I was told I would never ride a bike again but the attitude of Mark Airey, the strength and conditioning co-ordinator at Phoenix House, is ‘never say never’ and he encouraged me to try using a recumbent bike," he said.

“When I first used one, it felt amazing. Even though you are lower to the ground, it actually is less scary than an upright bike when a huge lorry goes past as you don’t wobble or rock - it’s awesome.”

Help for Heroes supplied him with a grant to buy his own bike, and his first priority is to use it to get fit and healthy before he undergoes another operation.

After that he will begin training for the charity’s Hero Rides in 2016, and is looking forward to rides out with his children – Holly, 10, Alfie, six, and Sadie, four.

Mr Yates now wants to gain qualifications for a new career in conservation after becoming interested in endangered species during a posting to Kenya.

Bryn Parry, co-founder of Help for Heroes, said: "This support has been made possible thanks to the generous donations of the public, for which we say a huge thank you.”

To support The Northern Echo’s appeal to fund a performing arts space at Phoenix House contact the centre on 01748-834148.