A HAMPSHIRE man who was left paralysed after a Valentine's Day road tragedy has won a multi-million pound compensation package.

Timothy Sanders was left paralysed from the neck down after he was hit by a driver using a hands-free mobile phone.

The keen sportsman had been cycling from London to see his girlfriend at his parents' home in a village near Winchester, when the car struck him at 60mph.

Timothy, a former businessman, has now been awarded a lump sum of £1.1m and £250,000 for every year of his life to pay for his care.

The 28-year-old, a triathlete and a London marathon runner, was unconscious for a number of weeks following the collision which happened last year. He is now only able to communicate by facial expressions and eye movement.

His father Colin Sanders told the Daily Echo: "It has been shattering and you wouldn't wish this on your worst enemy. You think it will never happen to your family.

"Tim's brain stem was injured which means while it is fine and he is mentally just like he always was, he can't move, breathe, talk, eat or drink.

"He has been coping incredibly well and he is a very brave young man. The whole family is very proud of him."

Timothy's family now split their time travelling between Winchester and Germany, where he is receiving care in a specialist clinic used by Southampton resident Wayne Howard after he was injured in a motorbike accident.

They learned about the clinic after the Daily Echo told of Wayne's plight and generous readers raised the £25,000 which was needed to pay for his treatment.

His brother Paul, 32, gave up his job as a stockbroker in Hong Kong to help with his care and his teacher sister, Philippa, 29, flies out regularly.

Mr Sanders said: "The hospitals in England are brilliant at saving lives but after that there is no- where that long term rehabilitation could be obtained for a patient on a ventilator."

Since moving to Germany Tim's condition has improved and he can now breathe for several hours a day without his ventilator and has regained slight movement.

The family, who hope to bring Tim home in time for his sister's wedding next July, are now calling for tighter regulations on motorists using hands-free kits, which will not be covered by a new law relating to the use of mobile phones in cars coming into force on December 11.

"We want to get over the message that hands-free kits are just as dangerous, if not worse, than mobile phones in cars. Your mind is still not on your driving and a typical example is my poor son," said Mr Sanders.

Police in Surrey investigated the accident, which happened near Guildford, but the driver of the car was not prosecuted on advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.

A CPS spokesman said: "We considered the case fully in accordance with the code for crown prosecutors and came to the decision that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute."

LAW BANS HAND-HELD MOBILE PHONE USE FOR DRIVERS:

FROM December 11 it will be a criminal offence to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving.

Drivers will face criminal prosecution and penalties ranging from a simple fine to disqualification and even imprisonment, if any aspect of a call using hands-free phone adversely affects their driving and especially if it leads to a crash.

Kevin Delaney, traffic and road safety manager for the RAC Foundation, said: "The new regulations introduce a welcome note of clarity and send a clear message to drivers and their employers about the hazards associated with the use of hand-held mobile phones."

Tips from the RAC on using hands-free phones include:

Always fit and use the best quality hands-free system you can afford.

Never write or read text messages when driving.

Keep calls brief and factual. Don't chat and never argue.

Don't make or take calls if weather, road, or traffic conditions require total concentration - use voicemail instead.