A PRESTON Lodge High School pupil who was injured in a skiing accident in Switzerland will be returning to school this week.

Nicholas Guest, of Lawson Way, Tranent, was skiing with friends over the Christmas holidays at a resort in the Swiss Alps when he went over a jump and hit his head.

He was in a coma in a hospital in Sion while his family flew over to him.

A crowdfunding campaign was set up to help get him home and, when he woke up, he returned to Scotland at the end of January.

Now, after being discharged from the Astley Ainslie Hospital in Edinburgh, the 17-year-old is planning to return to school this week.

“He’ll go back to school for a few hours to begin with and see what challenges he faces and how his concentration levels are,” said mum Marian.

“The school will allow him to leave class a little early so he’s not in the corridor at the same time as everyone else, as he still can’t risk banging his head.”

Nicholas, who plays rugby for Preston Lodge RFC’s under-18s, will still have to attend physiotherapy once a week to help his movement and co-ordination.

“He looks forward to it now,” Marian added.

“It’s a chance for him to perfect his walking skills. He presented the ball at the rugby club for their match on Saturday and he was so happy. It was quite emotional seeing him back in the place that he loves so much.

“We’ll find out in a few weeks when we get the result of the scan whether he’ll be able to play rugby again. We’re staying positive.”

Nicholas is in fifth year at Preston Lodge and had been due to take exams later this year.

“His exams will be moved back a year as obviously he has been unable to revise and if he took them this year it wouldn’t be a fair reflection on his abilities,” she added.

The rugby club will be hosting a rugby game in honour of brain injury charity Headway East Lothian at the end of May.