AN ULVERSTON man who survived horrific gay conversion therapy has spoken out after its ban was missed out of The King's Speech.

The speech sets out the programme of legislation that the government intends to pursue in the forthcoming parliamentary session.

68-year-old Jeremy Gavins was just 16 when he was subjected to six months of shock treatment in 1972.

After Jeremy confessed his love for a fellow schoolboy to a teacher, who was also a priest, he was told that being gay was 'sinful', he said.

To avoid being expelled, he agreed to conversion therapy not knowing the full horror yet to come. 

He underwent two sessions a week of electric shock treatment and after six months of 'treatment' he was deemed as 'incurable'.

After failing his A-Levels for a second time, he left education.

Throughout his life he has suffered bouts of depression and even felt suicidal at times.

"Fifty years later, I'm still experiencing the trauma of what was done to me," Jeremy said: "Last week I went into hospital for a simple procedure.

"As soon as I lay on the bed I started panicking that the doctors and nurses would do something to me.

"I had to explain to them that it's nothing they're doing, it's because of the electric shock treatment I had."

The legislation banning gay aversion therapy was first promised in 2018. The omission means it's now unlikely to become law before the next general election.

Jeremy said: "They say it's complicated, it isn't. All they have to do is ban it.

"It's proven not to work and the NHS won't perform it psychiatrists won't perform it, but there are religious figures and MPs who still want to feel like they can talk about gay conversion therapy.

"The government don't want to do it, it's as simple as that, they've been telling us for five years and it won't be until after a new general election now - I am dumbfounded."

Jeremy wrote a letter to his local MP for Barrow and Furness who has since responded.

Conservative MP Simon Fell said: "No one in this country should be harmed or harassed for who they are and attempts at so-called 'conversion therapy' are abhorrent. Mr Gavin’s own story is a perfect example of just this.

"I lobbied to have this legislation included in the recent King's Speech and have made my views known strongly to both Number 10 and the whips that a Bill should be introduced in this session. 

"I know that the Government is carefully considering this very complex issue and I intend to work with other like-minded colleagues to move this issue forward to prevent this barbaric practice from happening to others in the future."