A 54-year-old financier who suffers from chronic bedwetting has spoken out about his condition, with the aim of tackling the stigma that surrounds the problem.

Larry Phillips agreed to be interviewed by the Daily Mail after deciding to raise awareness of the condition and show other sufferers that they are not alone.

The happily married father-of-two has been affected by chronic bed-wetting or 'nocturnal enuresis' throughout his adult life, urinating during his sleep several times each week.

He told the news provider: "It's a humiliating thing to happen, but I've had to learn to live with it.

"My wife is terribly understanding about it and always has been. Yet it has caused problems for me personally and professionally over the years. It put me off going to university and has shaped my choice of job."

Bedwetting affects around one per cent of adults at some point, according to the Bladder and Bowel Foundation, but it remains something of a taboo subject.

Many people do not feel they can admit to family or friends that they rely on products such as Lil Fit Supreme Maxi incontinence pads or bed protection items such as a PVC Washable Mattress Cover.

The condition has a number of causes, such as an immature pituitary gland, a tendency to sleep very deeply or an overactive bladder, and it often runs in families.

Mr Phillips still does not know why he is affected by night-time urinary incontinence, but he has refused to let it control his life.

He told the Daily Mail: "There are a lot of people out there who tell no-one what they are going through.

"My attitude has been: 'OK, so I can't conquer this problem - I am a life-long bed-wetter - but I am going to compensate for this by being determined and achieving as much as I can. And that's what I have done."