Student Melissa North revealed that her fear of the dairy product is so bad that she AVOIDS the cheese counter in the supermarket and looking at it is enough to bring her out in a cold sweat.

The 22-year-old, from Herne Bay, Kent, revealed: "Walking past a deli counter in a supermarket is really difficult for me.

"I get so clammy and start to have a panic attack.

"It just looks awful – so gooey and disgusting – it makes me feel sick...

"Touching or eating cheese for me is like someone who is scared of spiders holding a tarantula. It's terrifying."

Melissa insists her fear blights her everyday life, but her family and friends think it's "hilarious" and tease her endlessly over it.

She said: "My boyfriend is always making fun of me.

"He will chase me around the house with a block of cheese in his hand but I just go into a state of panic.

"I just have to lock myself in the bathroom until he gets bored.

"He is supportive of me but it's hard to explain how much I hate it."