Karate teacher Derek makes the grade

A karate teacher from Wolverhampton is believed to have become Europe's highest graded instructor after training in Japan.

Derek Ridgway, aged 51, travelled to Okinawa where he spent several days being assessed.

He has now reached the level of seventh dan kyoshi grade at Okinawa karate, meaning he is now a "master teacher" of the martial art.

Mr Ridgway, of Cannock Road, Westcroft, has been practising for 40 years and said he put a lot of "sweat and toil" into his training while in Japan. Mr Ridgway said: "As far as I know, there are no other people at this master teacher level in Europe.

"As you progress through the dan system, you have to get more and more refined in what you do and your knowledge of the art. It's going deeper and deeper in what you do." Mr Ridgway, who teaches weekly sessions at Featherstone Community Centre, now plans to work towards achieving his eighth dan.