Thomas recovering after his ordeal in Victoria, Australia

A TEENAGER whose family emigrated to Australia from the Midlands is counting his lucky stars after surviving a shark attack.
Thomas Burke, aged 18, was bitten twice by the two-metre shark but was fortunate to escape with just scars to his leg.
It is believed he was bitten by a bronze whaler shark while surfing off the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, the first shark attack in the state for seven years.
Thomas, an apprentice carpenter whose family emigrated to Australia from Monkspath in Solihull in 1994, received 16 stiches in his left leg after being attacked.
The former Our Lady of the Wayside School pupil had been surfing with friends in the early evening and was paddling on his board when he felt himself being nudged. It was only as he clambered back onto his board he realised what was happening. The shark then tried to attack him again but he kicked and punched it before paddling back to the shore
Speaking from the family home in Mornington, which is about an hour away from Melbourne, Thomas's mum Claire, said: "He has had a surfboard for a number of years but only goes occasionally and he only recently started going surfing with the boys. He's not an experienced surfer and was not out there doing any fancy tricks.
"He felt he was being pulled off his board. He called out to his friends and said I think something is biting me. They didn't believe him and were laughing. Then there was a big splash and it came back to have a go at him."
As Thomas made his way back to the beach he was worried he might still be being followed by the shark and was frightened to look down at his leg in case he had lost it. He was then given emergency first-aid on the beach to stem the blood flow from his leg before being taken to hospital.
Mrs Burke, a legal secretary revealed how she and her husband Tom, who both attended St Peter's Catholic School, Solihull, were given the shock news.
"We had just sat down to dinner and he telehoned and said he had been bitten by a shark. We were stunned - it is not what you expect to hear. His friend then said he was having stitches and they would bring him home shortly.
"He has recovered quickly. He hasn't been having any any nightmares or flashbacks. He was on crutches for a while and has four or five big gouge marks. He may be permanently scarred or they may fade with time.
"But the recent attack on a girl who died has brought it home to all of us how much more serious it could have been."
After a short period as a local celebrity, appearing on several television news bulletins, Thomas, who has a sister Faye, aged 16 and a brother Michael, aged 14, was getting back to life as normal working for his father's building business.
Thomas's paternal grandparents Tommy and Bridie Burke, who come from Castlebar in County Mayo, are prominent members of the Solihull Irish community.
The same day of the attack his paternal grandparents, also from Solihull, were actually en route to Australia to make a new life there.
Claire Burke told how they met them at the airport and gave them the news of Thomas's ordeal.
"We met them as they cleared immigration and said don't worry, Thomas is okay but he has been attacked by a shark. I think they were as amazed as we were. When we got to our place there were three television stations waiting outside."