A special needs student poisoned by detergent on a day trip has spoken of his 14-month battle with a deadly superbug.

Neil Cole, 37, has been in hospital since December 2004 - much of the time confined to bed and close to death.

He emerged triumphantly after being discharged last night and said: "I'm just pleased to be going home."

Mr Cole, of Brighton, was one of six pupils with learning difficulties who mistook dishwasher liquid for a drink and received horrific injuries as they gulped it down with orange juice.

He has spent so long in intensive care that the tissues in his legs hardened, meaning he will always walk with a limp.

He has gone from a chubby 14st before the accident to a gaunt 8st and has been told he will not live as long as normal after spending so much time underweight.

The students, from the St Nicholas day centre in Lewes, were visiting nearby Plumpton College when they came across the container of colourful dishwasher liquid.

They mixed it with orange juice and drank it, leading to internal injuries.

Mr Cole was taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath and seemed to be recovering until he contracted the MRSA bug during an operation in January.

The infection spread from his skin to his lungs and doctors warned he was close to death. He spent six months in intensive care before being transferred to a ward for people with digestive diseases at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton.

Doctors and nurses on the ward gathered to say goodbye as Mr Cole was released.

He said: "Everybody here has been fantastic and I was so happy when they came to say goodbye."

Margaret Kelly, his mother, said: "It's been terrible - he's had so many scans and X-rays. You name it, he's had it and he's still got to go in for tests. We shall be coming back to the hospital for a long time yet.

"The care is going to be ongoing but it will be good for him to come home."

His brother Richard Cole, 31, said: "The staff at Royal Sussex have been absolutely amazing, the consultants, nurses, doctors and even the people in the canteen, who let him help on the tea run every day.

"If someone else had gone through what he has they would have probably gone insane with the boredom of such a long stay. His strength of character has made a big difference."

Staff nurse Pamela Jones said: "He dealt with the stay really well and he's made a remarkable recovery."

Ward sister Jane Kingsbury said: "He's shown tremendous courage and determination. We're all sorry to see him go."

The Health and Safety Executive found East Sussex County Council, which runs the day centre, had breached health and safety regulations and ordered it to be more careful in its storage of hazardous chemicals.