A man who dropped out of his art A-level studies has beaten thousands of painters in a European competition.

Jonathan Ridley, 29, stopped going to classes after five months because he didn't get on with the teacher and opted for a change of career.

After finishing a sociology and philosophy degree at York University, he moved to Brighton and became a youth worker and later a care worker.

But he kept his hobby alive by painting and drawing in his spare time and beat 4,000 hopefuls to be shortlisted for the £25,000 Lexmark European Art Prize.

Jonathan is among 28 artists shortlisted for the UK prize of £5,000.

His picture shows a hectic scene with people dashing around while trains and cars stream overhead.

A bridge looms out of the darkness above the hurly-burly of the concourse towards an orange sun.

Jonathan, a support worker for people with learning disabilities in Hove, said: "It's meant to make us think about our place in the world and the way it's moving very fast.

"It's about how the bigger and faster a place becomes, the more people get alienated from each other."

The UK finalists' work will be exhibited in London in September and the winner will be announced a month later.