AFTER being forced out of the Bomb Disposal Squad by a back injury in 2004, Ross Dimmock turned to Thai boxing as a way of getting back to fitness.

It was a change that has eventually led to him becoming a qualified personal trainer and last month achieving his ambition of opening his own gym.

The personal training saw him working for a number of major gyms before going it alone.

Mr Dimmock said: "There were quite a few celebrities among my clients but when I thought about what they were earning and then looked at my own wage packet, I decided it was not worth working for somebody else."

So he turned to his interest in Thai boxing to study the martial art of Muay Thai under the guidance of Grandmaster Sken.

The Grandmaster's teaching combines Thai boxing with fostering a feeling of friendship and respect among the participants.

Having completed his education, Mr Dimmock now runs the south of England's first Master Sken Academy in Mitcham Road, Croydon, having sunk all his savings into getting the project off the ground.

Mr Dimmock said: "I have already had a lot of interest and 16 women and seven lads have started courses.

"For those who do not want to do Thai boxing, I am offering circuit training, self-defence classes or one-to-one personal training."

Mr Dimmock has also started to work with the mental-health charity MIND in Croydon, to offer classes for people suffering from depression or other mental illnesses.

He said the discipline of martial arts was known to help with problems.