YOUNG Danny Anstey from Hatherleigh is battling it out this week to try and become the first plumber from Britain in 35 events to win the international Skill Olympics.

Danny, 21, was picked to represent England in February after winning the UK Championship for his pipework in the under 21 section and going through various selection tests.

A reception was held at Claridge's Hotel in London on Saturday before Danny and 31 other highly skilled young people from the UK jetted off to Montreal to begin competing.

The competition itself encompasses a huge range of vocational skill areas including stone masonry, computer aided design, floristry, industrial electronics and hairdressing, but Danny's mind will be purely on plumbing over the four days of competition.

Since February he has gone through rigorous training to prepare him for the event.

The plumber, who works at Lymath and Moys plumbing and heating specialists at Sheepwash, admits it has been very hard work but the rewards have been worth it.

With £4,000 in the bank from competition success, awards and sponsorship, Danny has also been offered a part-time lecturing job at Plymouth College.

'It's just been amazing,' he said. 'Nobody understands just how much is going on out there, I never did before now.

'I am really looking forward to competing. All the people I have spoken to who have taken part in previous years said it has completely changed them.

'Most of them are doing really really well for themselves.

'I have managed to get myself involved in helping out during the next lot of national competitions for plumbing. It is my aim to put in as much as I have got out of all this.

'I want to help promote better training standards and expand skills of workmanship — because of the lack of funding in colleges this has really been suffering lately.'

A British plumber has never won the Skill Olympics and it is Danny's ambition to be the first.

'We have had seconds — but that's not good enough,' he said.