Father who learnt to read in his 40s says getting help was 'the best thing in the world'

• Watch our report from ITV Meridian Reporter Mary Stanley

A man from Basingstoke who only learnt to read in his 40s is encouraging others, who may be struggling, to ask for help.

Paul Anderson has been taking part in a project run by the charity Read Easy which provides free one-to-one support to help adults learn to read.

Low illiteracy rates amongst adults is shockingly common.

It's thought around seven million people can't read or have very basic reading skills. Everyday tasks such as paying household bills or doing the weekly shop can become difficult.

Paul says he often hid his problem by getting other people to write his emails at work.

He has a job fixing coffee machines and as technology advances, he realised he needed to be able to read new manuals. He also wanted to make his wife and daughter proud.

The charity Read Easy was set up in 2010 and is spreading across the country.

Read Easy Basingstoke formed in 2019 just before the pandemic. But readers and their coaches have been able to meet online or socially distanced in a park.