TWO brothers have proved it is never too late to further your education.

As teenagers, Mike and David French could not have imagined studying together, but 20 years later, they have both graduated from the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, with first-class degrees in mechanical engineering.

Mike, 47, and David, 44, grew up in Billingham, although Mike now works in Qatar as an equipment engineer for national gas company Rasgas.

He said: "I got this job because of my degree.

Previously, I'd worked as an engineer in Norway and Iran.

Dave was talking about going back to study, while I was aiming for a better job, so we decided to enrol together.

"Dave and I couldn't have studied together as kids, three years is quite a big gap at that age. Now I think it's brilliant that we've got our degrees together. We were within half a per cent of each other in our final marks."

David lives in Ingleby Barwick and works as a maintenance supervisor on a North Sea oil rig. Before enrolling on the degree, he was in the merchant navy for 24 years, rising to the role of chief engineer.

He said: "I'm really pleased we both got firsts. We had no problem studying together and helping each other. We could draw on each other's strengths and enjoyed the challenge."