A Greater Manchester cyclist who won £2 million in compensation says his cycle helmet saved his life and is now campaigning for them to be made compulsory for all cyclists.

John Wellock, aged 61 and from Mossley, suffered life-changing brain injuries in September 2010 when a motorist pulled out in front of him on the A62, reports the Oldham Chronicle.

The newspaper says that Mr Wellock has had to give up his job as a self-employed estimator/salesman for an interior-design company.

It adds that his wife Elaine has also had to stop working so she can care for him full-time.

The £2 million settlement followed an admission of liability on the part of the insurers of the driver involved in the incident, which happened in Delph. In 2011, the motorist pleaded guilty to careless driving.

The compensation was approved by the High Court in Manchester, and as part of the settlement Mr Wellock will be able to return to court should he develop epilepsy in the future as a result of his injuries.

He now campaigns for Headway, the charity which wants to make helmets mandatory for all cyclists, and said: “I believe wearing a cycle helmet saved my life.”

He added: “I’ve been campaigning to try and make them compulsory for all. Anything that can be done to improve safety for cyclists is extremely important.”