RISING Para-badminton star Dan Bethell is taking his eye off the shuttle cock for a while to find out about life as a solicitor with a Devizes firm.

Mr Bethell, 20, who is a member of Corsham Badminton Club, who suffers from cerebral palsy on the right side of his body, is studying law at Bristol University while training hard at his sport.

Now the former Sheldon schoolboy is doing work experience in the commercial and litigation department of Wansbroughs in Devizes. He said: "Having discovered badminton at 12, I have been very lucky and I am now ranked 1st in the England Para team.

"I will be representing England at the SL3 level in the European championships in Holland in October, although my ambition is to represent England at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 when Para-Badminton will be included for the first time.”

Alongside the hard work and training for badminton he is also keen to have a career in the Law. Wansbrough partner Oliver Price said: “Wansbroughs was keen to give Dan a useful insight into the work of a successful law firm in Wiltshire.

“We will all be following his progress at the European Championships and hopefully medal success at Tokyo in 2020.”