Brave Joseph's dream comes true

An inspirational Shropshire teenager had his dream come true today when he came face-to-face with players from his beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers football Club.As a two-year-old, Joseph Anderson, of Broseley, fell into a bath of scalding water and was left with 76 per cent burns.

The ordeal, which left him on the hospital critical list for three months, means he will have to endure skin grafts for years to come.

But the remarkable 13-year-old has been described as an inspiration to others after proving how to overcome difficulties - in 2002 he was named Britain's Child of Courage at the Pride of Britain Awards.

Pauline Harris, from Bridgnorth, first met Joseph when he joined her and a group of volunteers to help raise funds for the Severn Valley Railway's disaster fund following last year's floods.

Mrs Harris was so impressed by the youngster that she wanted to do something special for him. She knew he was mad about Wolves and arranged the surprise visit.

The visit took place at lunchtime today at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground in Wolverhampton.

Mrs Harris said: "Despite his ordeal, Joseph has come through it all with his sparkling personality intact. He is very open about what happened to him and is inspirational in his teenage years."

* For more pictures, see tomorrow's Shropshire Star