West was educated at The Harvey Grammar School and then University College Swansea where he gained a Bachelor of Science in chemistry in 1968.  He then moved to the University of Aberdeen where he completed a PhD in 1971 under the supervision of Fredrik P. Glasser.
He was appointed lecturer at the University of Aberdeen in 1971 and gained his Doctor of Science (DSc) from the university in 1984.  He became professor in chemistry in 1989. He then moved to the University of Sheffield in 1999 to become Head of the Department of Engineering Materials.