A GULF War veteran who left school with no qualifications is looking forward to a new career in the classroom.

Former sailor Paul Barber, 31, who served on HMS Cardiff during the conflict with Iraq, will take up his first teaching post next month.

He achieved a first class honours degree in geography education at Sunderland University and will teach geography at Scalby Comprehensive, Scarborough.

Mr Barber, from Peterlee, County Durham, left school at 16 with no qualifications and served with the Royal Navy for ten years.

On HMS Cardiff he was a weapons engineer, part of a team that prepared missiles and torpedoes that the ship's helicopters fired at Iraqi patrol boats.

He rose to be a leading weapons engineer, but after meeting his future wife Clare he left the Navy in 1998 and enrolled on an access course in Durham.

Mr Barber said: "I never thought I would become a teacher when I left school, or even when I was a 21-year-old serving in the Gulf War. But when I was given the chance to do a degree at Sunderland I jumped at it. It's been difficult but worth every minute."

Starting the degree coincided with the birth of the couple's son, Ethan. Now the family have bought a house in Scarborough and Mr Barber is looking forward to his new career.

His tutor, Steve Watts, principal lecturer in education at Sunderland, said he was impressed with Paul's dedication and determination.

He said: "Very early on I knew Paul had a great chance of achieving a first. He will make an excellent teacher."