He may compare himself to Crocodile Dundee, but plumber Paul Humphries is no cowboy. The 24-year-old Australian settled in Leicestershire just over a year ago after meeting a local girl on holiday in his homeland.

He says he can offer a better quality service than most of the UK-trained plumbers because of the higher standards expected from the trade in his native country.

So, after a European salesman's job for a leading swimming pool company fell through, he decided to go back to his old profession.

"I had agreed with one of Australia's biggest swimming pool manufacturers to sell and install pools across Europe from the UK," said Paul. "But then the pound went through the floor and the Australian dollar went through the roof and I had to throw it all away.

"I said 'shall we go back to Oz?' But I thought why not stay here for a while and try to make a difference in the plumbing industry.

"The level of service in plumbing and the trade in general over here is not to the same standard as in Australia. It takes seven years to train to become a plumber over there. It's a more highly prized profession. It's because in Australia you count every last drop of water.

"That's why I decided to stay. I have set up a company to see if I could bring a more positive attitude to the industry."

Paul is from the farming town of Moree in New South Wales. He met his wife Carolyn three years ago in a youth hostel while he was doing a plumbing course and she was backpacking.

"I met her again a few weeks later at a cattle station where she was staying," he said.

"Then six weeks after we first met I proposed." He moved to Britain to marry her.

Paul's work in Australia involved putting in pumps for farm irrigation schemes and installing swimming pools.

"It was really busy," he said. "I had two years' worth of work in front of me and I gave it up to come to England and get married. It really killed me to give up all that work."

As well as plumbing, Paul also enjoyed the traditional Outback pursuits of hunting and fishing.

"My story is pretty much a Mick Dundee one," he said.

"I came from the farming capital of Australia and had never been out of the country before."

Given that Australia has been far less severely affected by the global economic downturn than Britain, Paul said the easy option would be to go back. But he feels he has found a gap in the UK market for his skills.

"Most immigrants are trying to stay here," he said.

"I suppose I'm the only silly bugger who has a reason to go home. Obviously, my wife wants to stay here, but I also feel I have something special to offer. I have a different attitude and a different set of skills.

"The difference between Aussie and British plumbing is that with Aussie plumbing you deal with the roof, the guttering and the ground works. You deal with everything connected with water. In this country other people deal with those things."

Paul, whose company, Aquafil Water, is based at the couple's home near Rolleston, east of Leicester, said he had learned different aspects of plumbing from across the world when he and Carolyn spent a year travelling the globe.

"I've picked up different skills and will use them to create a better quality plumbing proposition," he said.

Paul is confident he can grow the business quickly. "It's just me for now," he said.

"When it gets busier I want to start training people the way I trained – the Australian way.

"I walked away from two years' worth of work because I had created a good name for myself. I feel I can pick up a similar reputation here."

Although Paul misses a lot of things about his homeland, the weather is not one of them.

"It wasn't enjoyable working in 45-degree heat," he said. "That's why I don't mind the winters here."