A BASINGSTOKE man is facing an uncertain future after breaking his neck in a paddling pool accident.

Steve Wilkins, from Burns Close, Popley, is paralysed in his lower body following the tragic incident.

As he faces a difficult road to recovery, his wife Jackie today praised friends and relatives for the support he and she have received.

Jackie recalled how the accident happened while the family were staying with neighbours Maureen and Nick McCoy on a hot June day. She said Steve jumped into the nine feet wide and two feet deep pool to keep cool.

Jackie added: "He didn't get up and just lay there head down in the water. We thought he was playing a practical joke because he is a bit of a joker.

"He said he thought he had banged his head on the side of the pool. A friend lifted him out and we waited for paramedics to arrive."

Steve went to Basingstoke hospital and was later transferred to a specialist unit in Southampton for surgery. He was then taken to another hospital in Salisbury.

Jackie said her husband's spirits have been buoyed by visits from friends and relatives.

She added: "He hasn't quite accepted what has happened. He keeps on saying 'why me?' But he hasn't lost his sense of humour because he asked me for a wheelchair with outdoor wheels."

Jackie praised the efforts of regulars at Steve's local pub, The Winkle, who raised £485 through a karaoke night and a whip-round.

She added: "My neighbours and friends have been absolutely brilliant."

Jackie's employers, distribution company 3663, have also been quick to help, giving her time off and having a whip-round to help with Steve's transportation when he gets out of hospital.