A hand lotion developed by a retired haulage manager to heal his wife's dermatitis is one of the latest weapons against MRSA being tested at a Birmingham Hospital.

Brian Bennett was so determined to help his wife Heather as her skin condition worsened, that he spent three months studying reference books. Mr Bennett, from Nuneaton, tried using natural hand-conditioning ingredients such as Aloe Vera and Jojaba Oil combined with a powerful anti-bacterial agent. He also added water repellent silicon, which acts like an 'invisible glove', sealing in the anti-bacterial agent within the lotion. This meant that the anti-bacterial agent, called Triclosan, would continue to kill many germs, including MRSA, even after regular hand-washing or wearing gloves.

The lotion was so effective that experts at University Hospital - Birmingham NHS Trust decided to conduct clinical tests with the lotion. A total of 102 staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital took part in the trial, which involved half the group applying the lotion to their hands. Staff were tested one minute, one hour and three hours after applying the lotion and compared with the other half of the group who did not use it. Scientists found a very significant reduction in bacteria - sustained for up to three hours later - when  the lotion was applied .