TEACHING offenders at Risley Prison is a challenging role for English tutor Brian Watkin but it's one that he tackles with relish.

And now, his hard work has been recognised as the 57-year-old has reached the final of the Quality Improvement Agency STAR Awards.

Mr Watkin has worked at HMP Risley for the past four years as part of a team of tutors whose aim is to deliver quality education to the inmates, on the basis that this will help them find work on release.

He teaches English as a second or other language to inmates with an ethnic background and was nominated by Anita Archer, the head of learning and skills at Risley.

A former teacher in schools across Warrington, Mr Watkin said that Risley is such a rewarding place to work he would never wish to return to the state sector.

He added: "We have a freedom to chop and change our methods depending on what the inmate needs and this is what makes teaching at Risley so liberating."

Mr Watkin was presented with a certificate at Doncaster College that marks the achievement of reaching the final short-list of around 170 people from an initial 3,000.

He will now attend a ceremony, on October 30, in London where winners will receive a trophy and certificate as well as a prize of £2,000 or £5,000 for the winning team.

For more information about the awards, visit dfes.gov.uk/ starawards