A man who lost the ability to talk after a car crash has been given his Black Country accent back from a regional voice activated computer.

Jack Smith, originally from Wolverhampton, had used a standard generated voice through his communication aid during childhood.

The 21-year-old felt part of himself was missing until he was recently able to use a specially recorded accent.

His college National Star, a specialist institute for young people with complex disabilities, at Ullenwood, near Cheltenham, set about searching the country for age-appropriate regional accents for its students.

Hundreds of phrases were then recorded by another man, also called Jack, in his Black Country accent.