Father and son achieve honours degree in law

Retired police officer Harry Henson, 85, received his honours degree in law recently alongside his son Michael.

Harry, who is registered blind, enrolled on the course at Northumbria University four years ago as a way of getting out of his house in Crossgate Moor, Durham, after the death of his wife of 52 years, Edna.

A year later, Michael, 51, also a retired police officer from Newton Hall, Durham, decided to join him.

Harry, who took part in November's Remembrance Day Cenotaph march at Whitehall, London, with other veterans from St Dunstan’s, an organisation which provides support for visually-impaired ex-servicemen and women, said: "During the first year I would catch the bus from outside my house to Newcastle, attend lectures and then catch the bus back. Sometimes I wouldn’t get home until 11pm if it was an evening lecture."

"But the studying was keeping my mind active. After Michael decided to enrol the travelling became easier because he would take me in his car.”

Harry, who served in the RAF before working for Durham Police, recorded lectures and dictated his exam answers to a scribe. St Dunstan’s provided software which enabled Harry to replay the lectures at home, and scan text books.

He explained: "The organisation St Dunstan’s has been a marvellous help to me to enable me to complete this course. Without the equipment they loaned me I would not have been able to do it."

"I enrolled because I wanted to learn more about law after working for over 30 years trying to enforce it. But the type of law we studied was far different to what I was used to."

"One of the modules was on the rights and wrongs of euthanasia.”

Michael said: "I’ve always had a great interest in criminal law and when my dad joined the course I thought it would be nice for me to go along."

"The university gave my dad a chance – they didn’t turn him away because of his age or his partial sight. I think the facilities are second-to-none. The law libraries and the computer facilities are marvellous. The lecturers are very understanding. They knew we were coming into this as beginners.”