A man who began an art career in a bid to recover from a severe stroke has won his first competition.

Chris Jiggins, 41, came first in the Winter Open Exhibition run by Gosfield Gallery, in Petersfield Lane, which saw dozens of amateur artists submit their best work.

His work is now being displayed at Gosfield Gallery for the rest of the month and is on sale to members of the public.

Mr Jiggins, who lives with his partner Natalie and son Parker at their home in Head Street, Halstead, said: “I’m really pleased to have won the competition.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to win something like this. It’s nothing major but it’s a good start. There has been lots of positive opinions said about my work.” Mr Jiggins launched his art career after he suffered a severe stroke back in February 2017.

He was forced to quit his job as a window fitter and has been undergoing an extensive rehabilitation programme ever since in order to regain movement in the right side of his body.

Mr Jiggins will be undertaking a driving assessment next month and if he passes, he hopes to start up his own mobile art exhibition.

“We have a campervan that we used to use for family holidays,” he said. “I’m hoping I can set my work up in there and drive around to the markets and fayres in the summer time and show people what I can do.

“I’m trying to experiment a bit more with my work and like using powerful images.

“The art career has been one of the few things that has kept me going.

“It has helped me concentrate on getting better and if someone had said to me you would get to where I am now I would have been so happy.”