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A 21-year-old from Caerphilly County Borough has been named the second-best young plumber in the world at a competition in France.

Ruben Duggan, from Manmoel, displayed “outstanding plumbing talent”, according to the event organisers, where he earned a joint-silver medal in Lyon over the weekend.

The WorldSkills finals, often dubbed the ‘skills Olympics’, featured more than 1,500 participants from 69 countries, competing in 62 skills over four days.

According to the organisers, more than 250,000 people witnessed the young professionals during the competition.

After the tournament, Ruben, who is a former Coleg y Cymoedd student, said: “It means everything to me. My whole life revolves around it now. Not just mine, but also my mum and dad’s, as I get to represent our family company. So, my entire family is super proud, and it means a lot to us all.”

Lee Perry, plumbing lecturer at Coleg y Cymoedd and Ruben’s tutor, expressed his admiration, stating: “What a moment as a tutor to witness Ruben collect the Silver medal – a truly amazing achievement at this level.

“To see first-hand the dedication and commitment Ruben has gone through during this process is a testament to the person he is. I am beyond proud.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to be a part of this journey and thank you to everyone that has played a part.”