A MAN who was told he would never walk by doctors when he was a boy has set up his own tattoo company in Ayr.

Robert O'Rorke came to the Princess Trust in March 2015 who granted him a £5000 loan and £500 grant to help him in his business venture.

The Bearded Lady, formally known as Monsters Inc has been running successfully as a tattoo parlour for over one year.

Speaking about his journey to success Robert, originally from Paisley, said: "I was born with with Spina Bifida and it affected my spine and organs. They said I wouldn't walk."

Spina Bifida is a congenital defect of the spine in which part of the spinal cord and its meninges are exposed through a gap in the backbone. It often causes paralysis of the lower limbs, and sometimes learning difficulties.

Robert continued: "When I was four or five I was put on splints and was walking until I was about 14 or 15. But I was rollerblading and fell and my knee swelled up. 

"It was not the best time. They told me I would not walk again. When I went into the wheelchair I was in my teens and was very bitter about it but I took up basket ball. It was meant to be.

"But I gave that up in October last year because it was too much especially working full time."

Robert played basket ball for the under 19s for Scotland from 16 and became team captain when he was 19. After getting one training session with team GB he decided it was not for him.

He explained: "I got one training session with Great Britain but realised it was not for me. I had been trying my hardest and they kept telling me 'no' but when I was reclassified I did one training session with them but told them I did not want to continue. The one thing I was good at was art."

Robert ended up leaving school to work on cars with his dad who was a mechanic at Arnold Clark. The pair would work on cars together at the weekend.

He was given a conditional placement at the University of Hamilton but had to complete an HNC in maths. "I gave it until Christmas until closing the book," he laughed.

Robert moved to Kent to complete an apprenticeship before moving back to Scotland to work before coming to the Princess Trust to ask for help to get his own business up an running. 

His advisor John Maltwood from Troon has been with him every step of the way.

He added: "John has been my rock. He has been amazing and pops in to see me once a month. I've even tattooed him."

But the 30-year-old has not finished leaving his mark yet as he hopes to expand the business in the near future.