A FORMER firefighter left disabled after a near-death crash claims he felt so uncomfortable at a training course he was forced to leave.

Lyndon de Negri said his disabilities were not accommodated for at the personal training course he had paid £800 to take part in.

He hopes to become a personal trainer after finding fitness was what kept him going during his recovery and helped his mental health.

After being a Royal Marine and a firefighter he was keen to remain active after his motorbike crash in 2003.

He was left brain damaged after the crash, which left him so injured his life-support was switched off before he miraculously began to breathe on his own.

He now wants to help others get fit.

He has double vision, balance issues and nerve damage to his right side, but has already worked up to a general instructor level.

Lyndon, of Nelson Road, Dovercourt, said: “I want to be a personal trainer, I’ve always been into fitness and even in the hospital I was doing things.

“I know how important it is for your mental health.Keeping fit kept me alive.”

Lyndon had already attempted to complete the Level 3 course once in the past but was unable to fulfill the final requirement of a case study at the time.

He booked on to a course being run in Chelmsford last summer by Diverse Trainers to try again.

He said: “I told them all about my problems but when I got there the trainer said she wasn’t told I was disabled and she kept on saying it.

“I felt she didn’t want me on the course and I left after one day.”

Lyndon cannot use his right hand, which is his writing hand, but said he still managed to complete the rest of the course last time despite this.

He contacted the company and was eventually told in May he could have a refund of £700 after his experience.

But he says he has not been given anything.

Diverse Trainers was contacted by the Standard for comment but did not respond by the time of going to print.