Female phobic man, 27, has never been kissed!

London, Sept 23 (ANI): It is normal for any man to get nervy before asking a woman out for a date - but for Neil Dando, 27, it is a case of utter horror.

Dando, from Worthing, West Sussex, suffers from chronic 'loveshyness' - a psychological condition which means he cannot approach a girl without becoming a nervous wreck and suffering extreme anxiety attacks.

His situation is so bad that he has never kissed a girl despite being aged 27, reports The Telegraph.

"At work, because it is purely professional, it is fine. It is only when I get attracted to a girl that it really affects me," Dando said.

"There have even been cases when I have pretended to like somebody just to see if I can get over it.

"But the more I talk, the more I start thinking and the same anxiety halts me mid-sentence," he added.

Love-shyness is not a registered condition but was identified by US professor Brian Gilmartin in his 1987 book, Shyness And Love:

Causes, Consequences And Treatment.

"Shyness inhibits people from assuming a sense of responsibility for their behaviour," Gilmartin wrote in his book.

"It makes them feel and truly believe they are not in the driver's seat of their own lives and destinies," he added. (ANI)