A FORMER prison service worker is using his experiences to teach self- defence.

Neil Jeffrey, 43, set up his company Threat Response after taking redundancy from his post as a use of force instructor for prison governors and nurses.

The father-of-two said he had spotted a gap in the market to teach the same techniques he used in his job to those working and living in the ‘civillian world’.

Mr Jeffrey, who lives in the Intack area of Blackburn, said: “Having worked in a custodial setting for a number of years, seeing first hand how violence can rear its ugly head in a split second, I feel it is important to enable my clients to develop skills that may at some point be very useful.

“Corporate clients who have staff who are vulnerable because they are lone workers or deal with people who can be potentially violent, like taxi drivers, could learn this kind of self defence rather that going to martial arts classes. But anybody could potentially be walking down the street and bump into somebody who is violent.

“In martial arts, you learn self defence, which generally does not carry over into street fights, but there are easy to learn techniques which I can provide clients.”

Mr Jeffrey, whose partner is a custody nurse, said his kind of self defence was more effective as the techniques work with the ‘adrenaline rush’ the body has when it is in a dangerous situation and could cause it to shut down.

Since leaving the prison service, the teacher has been given a Btec accreditation to deliver self defence instruction.

He said: “Having worked in the environment that I have worked in and using self defence myself, I know that the techniques I am delivering work.

“And having a good working knowledge of legislation governing self defence, I make sure my clients fully understand their responsibility to act within the law and that the law, if observed, also offers protection.”

For more information, visit www.threat-response.co.uk or call 07837891201.