Clipmark

Before (left): Joshua without his latex ears and After (right): With the new ones fitted

Born almost deaf and without any ears, Joshua Bull might have faced a life blighted by speech difficulties and the teasing of his peers.

But doctors have been able not only to restore his hearing but to rescue his appearance too by giving him artificial ears.

Far from attracting the attention of bullies at school, Joshua has won the respect of his teachers and other pupils for his courage.

Surgeons began by inserting one bone-anchored hearing aid into his skull, effectively bypassing the blocked ear canal, enabling him to hear properly for first time.

The youngster began senior school last September with no ears at all. Two weeks later, he turned up with two plastic ears.

The treatment was all done on the NHS and he will get new ears every six months until he is fully-grown.

"His little face and eyes lit up when it was put on, he could hear the birds sing for the first time.