A DANCER who had his leg amputated after being hit by a rubbish truck is eyeing a return to the stage six months after the accident.

Sean Jerome was skateboarding to a seminar at Brighton Academy when he was hit by the 46-tonne lorry in Hollingdean Road in September last year.

The truck ran over Sean’s right leg, and he was rushed to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, where surgeons tried to save his leg.

However, after 48 hours his leg was amputated below the knee.

The Argus: Sean Jerome was skateboarding to a seminar at Brighton Academy when he was hit by a 46-tonne lorry in Hollingdean Road last year Sean Jerome was skateboarding to a seminar at Brighton Academy when he was hit by a 46-tonne lorry in Hollingdean Road last year

The 21-year-old is currently on the waiting list for a prosthetic leg, and once it arrives, Sean plans to waste no time before getting back on stage.

"One minute I was cruising through Brighton looking forward to my dance seminar, the next I was on the floor looking down at my mangled leg,” he said.

"I remember briefly seeing my tibia and fibula were sticking out my shin.”

Sean, a performing arts and musical theatre student, has recently begun attending theoretical lectures for the first time since the accident.

"I wanted to throw myself in at the deep end so I could quickly learn to live with my disability,” he said. "In many ways last year was the best year of my life.

The Argus: Brighton dancer who had leg amputated after being hit by truck eyes return to stage Brighton dancer who had leg amputated after being hit by truck eyes return to stage

"I've always struggled with confidence, but now I have an injury that separates me from the crowd, I have embraced being different.

"I can't wait to be back performing, and I'm feeling more positive about life now than ever."

Sean, originally from Wimborne near Bournemouth, said his parents Shana and Paul were not keen on him living on his own after the accident, but he was determined not to take any time off university.

His prosthetic leg is expected to arrive within the next month, and when it does, Sean says he'll be heading straight for the studio.

"There was a time after it happened where I did feel really down and depressed,” he said.

"It could have been so much worse, if I'd had to have an above the knee amputation I would have lost the whole range of movement in my leg.

"I don’t want people in the same position as I was to feel like having an amputation is the end of life as they know it.

"Obviously bad things can happen in life, but if you a have a positive mind set and a strong support system around you then things can quickly get better.

"Everything is completely normal for me now apart from I'll need to pop a leg on in the morning and take one off when I go to bed.

"I didn't want to get used to having everything done for me because life isn't going to be like that.”

Enquiries into the crash are ongoing.

Anybody who witnessed the incident or has relevant dashcam footage is urged to contact police online or by calling 101, quoting Operation Nettle.