A man who suffered a stroke ten years ago has painstakingly built a car from scratch - using just one hand.

Neil Russell, 53, spent four months in a wheelchair and three further months in rehabilitation after his stroke in December 1993.

But the Baildon man, who was left without the use of his right arm, has not let the incident diminish his passion for car building.

It took Mr Russell - who used to be right-handed - seven years to make each part and to build the copy of a 1930s style MG Midget.

"I can only use my right arm as a paperweight now - for holding things down," he said. "It made building a car challenging to say the least! I now realise I can weld and spray almost as badly with my left hand as I could with my right!"

The car has a five-speed box and a potential speed of 100 miles per hour, but Mr Russell has not been able to take it out on the roads as its roadworthiness needs to be approved by inspectors

"It's got a body so light it would go like a bullet," he said.

Virtually every piece of the car has been made from scratch by Mr Russell.

Mr Russell has previously built four other cars, all designed by John Cowperthwaite, who sells the plans and patents for his cars.

The plans arrive like a dressmaking pattern which builders can then pin onto wood and cut out.

The parts are then padded with aluminium and put together to make the cars, which must pass a test before they can be used on the roads.

Mr Russell started building cars after owning more than 50 vehicles - because he never found one he liked until he started building his own.

He ran his first hand-built car for three-and-a-half years, but thinks he will probably sell this one. And the former maths and music teacher has also completed five London Marathons since he had his stroke.

"I decided I would like to do the London Marathon, walking if I had to, but I ended up running it. I hadn't done any running before but I discovered that I was able to walk over rough ground and thought since I could lift my legs high enough I would be able to run."

Mr Russell is a member of Baildon Runners' Club and has also completed around 12 Great North Runs.

He has set up his own website outlining his achievements and more information about he built his cars, which can be accessed at www.johnnruss.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk.