A joiner has received royal backing from the Prince of Wales after excelling on an apprenticeship programme.

Prince Charles awarded Jonny Briggs, from Ilkley, the Prince’s Trust Hancock Award which rewards the best apprentice on the Heritage Skills Building Crafts Apprenticeship Prog-ramme – run by The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community.

Now the 25-year-old is hoping to build on his success after starting his own business called Jonny Briggs Joinery.

Mr Briggs had previously completed an NVQ Level 3 in Site Carpentry and Joinery at Leeds College of Building then went on to secure one of just eight places on the Prince’s Trust programme which now means he can work on heritage projects and tender for English Heritage work.

“There were hundreds of people competing for these places, so to be named as the best apprentice on the course and meet Prince Charles in London was a fantastic honour,” said Mr Briggs.

“I’ve always been interested in the heritage side of carpentry because it means working with top-quality materials on historic projects that several generations of craftsmen have worked on before.

“During this course, I worked on fascinating projects including restoring 400-year-old doors at Canterbury Cathedral and building a curved external staircase at the Grade 1-listed Buntings-dale Hall in Shropshire, so it’s given me a great portfolio of work.”

Mr Briggs’s lecturer at Leeds College of Building, Joe Clancy, said: “Jonny is a hugely-gifted and very talented student and thoroughly deserves this success. Competition for places on the Heritage Skills Building Crafts Apprenticeship Prog-ramme is extremely fierce which makes this an even bigger achievement and he now has the potential to become one of the best craftsmen in the UK.”

Before starting the programme, Mr Briggs had volunteered to restore the former Storiths Hatchery barn on the Bolton Abbey Estate.