13-year-old boy breaks vow of silence after 10 years

Told he needed a tonsil operation at the age of three, Ben Grocock was terrified.

So terrified, he insisted he would never speak again if the surgery went ahead.

His parents brushed off his threat (he was three, after all) and the operation took place.

But when Ben awoke, he stuck to what became his final word. For the next ten years he retreated into a world of silence.

Until now. At 13, Ben has started talking properly for the first time – thanks to a confidence course run by his local fire brigade.

Now, to the relief of his mother Linda Brant, 38, the floodgates have opened and Ben has started talking to his teachers and friends.