Nine years ago, Charly Newton almost had to have her foot amputated after a horrific motorcycle accident.

But the 30-year-old from Paulton has overcome adversity to graduate from the City of Bath College with a computing qualification.

What makes her story even more remarkable is that she sat her final exams just four weeks after giving birth to her third child.

Mrs Newton had been working as an engineering apprentice when she was injured in a crash in December 2000 and was unable to return to work for safety reasons.

She had broken every bone in her left foot, toes and ankle and despite numerous operations is in pain for 90 per cent of the time.

She approached the college three years ago because she wanted to re-train for a less physically demanding job and staff pointed her in the direction of a computing course.

Mrs Newton, who lives in Paulton, said: "I thought it would be a good way to get ready to go back to work as my injuries healed.

"I feel quite a sense of achievement now. It just makes me feel that I more employable to someone and it has given me the confidence I needed."

As she was going into her final year Mrs Newton discovered she was pregnant with her third child Harvey and that he was due just before her exams.

However, she made sure she was fully prepared to continue with her studies as soon as he was born.

Mrs Newton said: "I actually feel that if I hadn't been pregnant with Harvey, then I might not have done so well, because during the six weeks leading up to the birth I was doing extra work to cover myself for after."

With the support of her friends and family, including husband Richard and their other two children – Lydia, seven, and Alex, three – Mrs Newton managed to pick up her work just days after the birth and passed her foundation degree in computing exams four weeks later.

She now has part-time office work at a day centre in Writhlington, but hopes she can find a suitable engineering job soon.

Mrs Newton was one of 35 students graduating from the college at a ceremony at the Guildhall in subjects including business and management, building and engineering, teacher training and computing.

Principal Matt Atkinson presented the certificates and author Bel Mooney gave the keynote speech.