A PARALYSED war veteran has been told he will walk again thanks to the funding for a robotic exoskeleton.

Chris Baker, of Walford Way, Coggeshall, was injured by an improvised explosive device while serving with the Royal Engineers in Iraq 12 years ago.

At first, Mr Baker thought he had only suffered minor injuries but his condition deteriorated as a result of an unknown spinal fracture.

He became paralysed four years later.

In November, Mr Baker took his first steps using a pair of £50,000 robotic legs made by specialist company ReWalk.

He has now been offered funding for his own pair.

Mr Baker, 34, said: “The trial was great, it worked really well.

“I had a phone call a few weeks back saying the equipment is being manufactured in Germany and it should be ready for training soon.

“They are fantastic. They can be used outside so I can go to a show on the grass and it will be so much easier.

“It sits and stands and goes up and down stairs. The company have said because the main facilities are at Stoke Mandeville, they want to train someone to look after them here.”

The funding is being provided by the Gerald Ronson Family Foundation through the Community Security Trust.

The robotic legs use motion sensing technology and battery- powered motorised legs to create knee and hip movement, controlled by on-board computers and software.

It is hoped Mr Baker will start training in the next few weeks after he has fully recovered from more surgery. He said: “I had a trip at the back end of last year and I did too much. I went and did Route 66.

“One of the wires in my spinal stimulator broke so I had other painful areas from the nerve damage.

“They rewired me completely and they did it all through keyhole. It is 12 weeks recovery.

“In the next couple of weeks they will do some training with me before I’m allowed to go it alone.”

For more information visit rewalk.com.