AN army officer shot in the arm in Afghanistan is one of the first soldiers to take part a pioneering ski course designed for serving military personnel left disabled following injury.

Captain Martin Hewitt, aged 27, is still recovering from serious injury, having been shot in the right arm last July.

The bullet severed the nerves in his arm, leaving him with dramatically impaired mobility in the limb.

Martin, a former puupil at Fairfied High School, said: "When you are injured, it is difficult to come to terms with the total change in your lifestyle, from very active to inactive.

"I was a ski instructor before I was shot so I've just had to adapt a bit.

"It's been brilliant seeing the guys getting back to doing something they enjoy."

Martin joined the army in 2004 and is a platoon commander in the Parachute Regiment.

The adaptive skiing course was inspired by Wounded Warrior', a similar venture set up in 2003 by the US military .

It aims to restore the confidence of the 80 or so men and women who are serving with a disability.

More than 400 wounded personnel returned from Iraq and Afghanistan last year alone.