Pete Morris was left in intense discomfort every time he ate or drank for over a decade but after his symptoms worsened last year, he was eventually diagnosed with severe achalasia, a rare disorder which affects the nerves and muscles of the oesophagus.

Gastroenterologist Dr Rehan Haidry, who is based at London's University College Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic, a private hospital where Pete was treated, said: “The oesophagus is a 25cm or so long muscular tube with two rings of muscle – known as the sphincter – at its top and bottom.

“The lower sphincter acts as a gateway for allowing food coming down the oesophagus to enter the stomach when it relaxes.

“We take it for granted that we can swallow without a second thought, but for someone with achalasia, this lower muscle tightens, preventing the natural movement of food which becomes stuck and is often brought back up. When swallowing food and drink becomes a big issue, it can really impact on our quality of life."

Last September, Pete underwent a peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) – where the sphincter muscle is cut to prevent it going into spasm – and after a week eating only soft foods, he tucked into his first proper meal and "cried" with relief when he suffered no ill effects.

He said: “I immediately noticed there was no pain when eating. So when I had my first bowl of soup and a roll the day after the procedure, I cried because it felt so much better."

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