IT’S a far cry from commanding RAF helicopter forces in Iraq – but a pilot-turned-cabinet maker from Canford Magna says his new trade gives him the same thrill.

Mike Laver, who left the force after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, was a recent finalist in the Inspirational Business Award.

Mike, who had been in the RAF since 1984, said: “I basically woke up one day with no sensation from the waist down.

“It was quite strange and unannounced, and two months later I got the diagnosis.

“There was a bit of me that thought: ‘I’m flying in the air force, I’m as fit as a flea.’ With most things you hope you’ll recover, but there’s no chance of that with MS.”

Warned by doctors not to take on anything too stressful, Mike threw himself into a furniture production course at Bournemouth and Poole College.

“I had to absolutely recalibrate myself,” he said. “I’d always fancied doing something creative with my hands, particularly because of skills my grandfather had taught me many years ago.”

Now he creates unique designs from his garage.

“I’ve got a bizarre business plan whereby I don’t seek a lot of work,” Mike said.

“I’m a one-man band and need to accommodate my condition with the amount of work I do.

“In a different way I get the same buzz as in the air force. The good times are fantastic – it’s really therapeutic.”

He’s also set up Monster Ski, an extreme skiing challenge going into its fifth year. It’s raised £500,000 for the MS Trust. He added: “The message is that MS can feel bleak but it’s not the end of the world. You can take it on the chin and move on, live life and enjoy it.”