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If you’ve ever wondered if anything happens in a coma sufferer’s mind, crash survivor Andrew Penman has an answer: Aliens.

Andrew was hit by a car on Canton Bridge in Cardiff at the age of 26, causing huge damage to his sight and speech, and leaving him unable to recognise anyone.

For four and a half weeks he was in a coma, during which time he says he had visions of “friendly little” aliens who oversaw his recovery.

Andrew Penman tells his life story in a new book - The Long Road: A Journey to Health and Happiness via Brain Trauma.

The book is pieced together from diaries his mother kept diaries of his progress, which Mr Penham soon took over, detailing his day to day life in the years after the accident.

It combines these diaries with interviews and letters from friends, explaining all of the things he tried during his rehabilitation.

Describing his alien visions, he writes: “They looked like men, about three-foot tall, a greyish-purple colour with lopsided heads, kind of like a sideways triangle.

“I feel they were contacting me telepathically and helping with my recovery.”

Mr Penman, who remembers seeing them at the end of his hospital bed, now has a fascination with such beings, and is in frequent contact with other believers.

He said: “There’s a connection with the other side and UFOs, as aliens are far more advanced than we are.”

This leads him to claim humans will make alien contact within the next 10 years, and he has sent a copy of his book to UFO expert Nick Pope.

Also described was Mr Penman’s trip to Thailand in 2009.

Without telling any friends or family, he joined a Thai dating agency before making the trip East.

“I came across and advert for a company that introduced British men to Thai ladies, and with the view of finding a compatible and caring partner, I got in touch with them.

“As I hadn’t had much luck with local lasses for a while, I decided to get myself down to that sunny country and the rest is history.”

After moving to Udon Thani, a major city in northeast Thailand, he began practising tai chi and other martial arts, fully immersing himself in the oriental culture.

He soon met wife Lalita, 36, married her, and then returned to South Wales just two years later, having improved “remarkably” during his 20 months there.

Still in love with the country to this day, Andrew practices Aikido twice a week, swims four times and week, and does yoga on most days.

He also chooses to split his time between Wales and Thailand, a trait he puts down to his wife.

“She’s the one that keeps me going and who teaches me Thai with the patience of a Bangkok monk.

“She’s considerate and caring and great fun.”

Mr Penman, 56, whose recovery led him to hospitals all over Cardiff, was born in Grangetown in 1963, and he lost his father at a young age.

After leaving school at 16, he became a bricklayer, subsequently falling in with the wrong crowd, and began drinking, smoking and taking drugs.

According to Mr Penman, the accident in 1989 gave his life the direction it was lacking, making him appreciate his own health and providing others with inspiration.

He is now fascinated by martial arts, particularly Aikido, and he claims such practices have transformed his life for the better.

Mr Penman added: “I want this book to engage people and let them know that everything’s possible - no pain, no gain.”

The Long Road: A Journey to Health and Happiness via Brain Trauma is available on Amazon