A former gang member who turned his life around to become a model has had his achievements recognised with a top regional award.

When Josh Bopu was nine, his mum died. By the time he was 13 he had joined a gang and less than three years later he found himself behind bars.

Now 18, the student, of Dagenham, has picked up a Turn Around Award as part of the London Leadership and Peace Awards held earlier this month at City Hall.

“Going to jail really changed my perspective on life,” he told the Post.

“My friends weren’t there and I realised this wasn’t a lifestyle that I wanted to live.”

After leaving prison, Josh decided he needed to get his life back on track.

Barking and Dagenham College accepted him on a risk management programme run alongside the Met, and he is now studying for a subsidiary diploma in sport.

“The support from the college has been great,” he added.

“[Head of learning support and learner resources] Nicky Gibson has helped me so much – she made me realise I need to buck up my ideas as there was no point living the life I was leading.”

Alongside his studies Josh also mentors students and supports himself with a job at clothes shop Gap.

“I’m not too sure what I want to do after college yet,” he added. “I’m looking into sports coaching or maybe physiotherapy, but I’m not 100 per cent sure.

“At the moment, I’m doing quite a bit of modelling, which is going really well.

“Sometimes it’s a struggle because I’m only 5ft 11ins, but I know anything is possible now.”