A YOUNG man, who struggles to leave his home due to anxiety, has been strutting his stuff on the catwalk and taken a brace of prizes in a modelling competition.

Kurtis Mann, now aged 18, from Stoulton, near Worcester, took part in the finals of the Face of the World International contest and walked away with the runner-up prize in the teen section and also won a prized for the Best Style and Best Photo Shoot.

The young man, who had appeared to be a perfectly happy young boy in his early years, developed severe anxiety problems when he transferred to high school.

He eventually received special help through the local Medical Education Team and also Norton College, which supports young people unable to benefit from mainstream education and aims to give the most challenged and challenging young people the sort of educational, social and vocational skills that will enable them to integrate into society.

His confidence began to grow and he eventually became registered with a modelling agency called VisAble People for individuals with disabilities and has taken on some acting roles.

Earlier this year he applied for the modelling competition Mr British Isles and came third – scooping the title Mr Worcester. Following that success he entered the Face of the World International contest, which attracted thousands of entries, via the casting company Star Now.

His mum Trudy Mann was thrilled at his latest achievement and said he had benefited from professional catwalk training, confidence training and a professional photoshoot.

Trudy said: “Not bad for a lad who once would not even walk out of the door. I am amazingly proud of him.”

The Face of the World finals were held at the Burlington Hotel Birmingham earlier this month (November).

As a result of his own personal experiences of dealing with anxiety, Kurtis developed an interest in mentoring young people facing similar problems and continues to help others in that way.