A man who's stammer was so bad he couldn't even say his name, has told of his delight that he is now talking non-stop thanks to a local course.

Matt Callard's stammer left him so frustrated he would bite the inside of his cheek until it bled. He tried hypnotherapy and other techniques from the age of 12, but when it failed he gave up, letting his family and friends speak for him instead.

"I was mimicked at school and was terrified when anyone asked me my name as I'd never been able to say it," the 34 year old told the Eastbourne Herald.

"I was so bad I stammered over every word and it became worse the more I got to know someone, so I stuttered worse with my family and close friends. I used to be petrified about having to speak as people with stammers are always the butt of everyones jokes. But the condition isn't funny."

For years, Matt took jobs in supermarkets and factories so he would not have to speak, but he vowed to beat his speech impediment. "I had a degree but wasn't taking the right jobs, I'd tried everything to cure it, but nothing worked, so I'd almost given up," but then he heard about a three day residential course held each month.

"It was amazing. Within half an hour I'd said my name for the first time in my life. I was so excited I kept saying it over and over again. The technique was relatively simple," he added.

The technique which will be of interest to those in speech and language therapy jobs, is based on costal breathing. The technique teaches the client to breathe in the same way you do when you sing, yawn or shout.

"No-one stammers when they're singing, so if you use that breathing style, you don't stutter. I thought when I left the course my stammer would come back, but I haven't stuttered since. I just keep practising the technique and haven't looked back," he said.