The tragedy of losing everything in Storm Desmond turned to triumph for a Carlisle student who has scooped a top award.

Final-year University of Cumbria forest and woodland management student Richard Daniels was preparing his dissertation - the major piece of work for his degree - when his house in Grace Street was submerged waist-deep in water.

Richard's study notes, which were on his coffee table, were destroyed.

The former hospital porter lost all his belongings, including his car, and then was unable to get to university in Ambleside.

His employer at the time, Whitbarrow holiday village near Penrith, generously provided him with temporary housing, but without transport Richard couldn’t get to campus.

Richard's tutor Andrew Weatherall reassured him that arrangements could be made and deadlines extended to accommodate the extraordinary circumstances.

"I probably lost about two months’ worth of work for my dissertation, which, with everything else that was going on, was devastating”, said Richard, who is 31.

"However, Andrew and the university were really fantastic and made sure I was able to eventually submit my work and it would be counted towards my final degree mark."

So that Richard could graduate with his friends from the course last July, the University of Cumbria awarded a ‘temporary ordinary degree’ as it was clear he had easily reached the minimum standard.

However, it did not emerge until later when all marks had been calculated that Richard had in fact achieved a first class honours degree.

In addition, Richard won the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) Student Award for the National School of Forestry.

Andrew, a senior lecturer with the National School of Forestry at the university's Ambleside campus, said: "Richard’s position was made extremely difficult by the floods.

"He was the only forestry student who was flooded so the university made sure he wasn’t disadvantaged in any way by this situation that was totally beyond his control.

"He was already doing very well in his degree, and I am really pleased that he has managed to maintain his grades despite the flooding disruption and graduated with the best overall average of any National School of Forestry student in 2016, thus getting the ICF award."

Staff and students had a whip-round for Richard back in December last year to try and help him immediately after Storm Desmond had hit.

One year on and Richard was recently presented with the award at Carlisle Cathedral by Shireen Chambers, executive director of the ICF.

Shireen said: "I’m delighted that Richard has won the ICF Student Award 2016, especially given the difficult circumstances in which he completed his degree."

Richard, originally from Peterborough, now works for DGA Forestry in Dumfries.