A new customer service course for disabled people is being launched in Devon.

Government minister Maria Eagle is visiting St Loyes College in Exeter to carry out the official ceremony.

The college, in Topsham Road, will become the first institution in the country to offer the 13-week course.

It will train people with disabilities to become receptionists, work on customer service desks, or in call centres.

Maria Eagle praised staff at St Loyes College

Ms Eagle will also launch Cisco - a new form of training in computer networking.

St Loyes College was established in 1937 and has placed many thousands of disabled people into new careers.

It is now a 200-strong training community for students aged between 18 and 63 with disabilities.

The residential training is contract-funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Ms Eagle, who is the government minister responsible for disabled people, praised staff at the college, who last year found 99 jobs for disabled people.

"St Loyes has had a major impact in raising awareness among employers of the potential workforce disabled people can offer," she said.

"The college provides training and confidence-building opportunities the students would otherwise not have got."