FORMER firefighter Paul O'Dwyer thinks he has just the thing to cool down TV chef Gordon Ramsay's nether regions.

The celebrity chef was horrified when a spot check discovered that hours of slaving over a hot stove had left him with a low sperm count.

The issue of how chefs can protect their reproductive facilities from high kitchen temperatures was raised in Ramsay's Channel 4 show, The F Word.

Experts believe that a man's sperm count can be reduced if he is exposed to high temperatures.

Ramsay challenged someone to come up with a solution to the problem. Step forward County Durham businessman Paul O'Dwyer.

Mr O'Dwyer, who runs Coolberries, a company in West Cornforth that specialises in personal heat protection, suggested a protective "codpiece".

In response to Ramsay's plea, his firm has launched its CaterShield range, designed to provide protection from excessive heat in commercial kitchens.

CaterShield is a combination of reflective aluminium on a lightweight insulating fabric base. It can be worn on its own, secured by cotton ties, or in an apron pocket. It also has space for two re-usable ice packs which provide extra cooling power.

A version of CaterShield, which uses neoprene as the main heat-retarding fabric, is also being produced.

Mr O'Dwyer said: "The level of fertility amongst male chefs is significantly lower than that of the UK male average. CaterShield has been designed to provide effective protection by virtually eliminating the transfer of all of the radiated and conducted heat to this crucial part of the chef's anatomy."

Mr O'Dwyer said he was encouraged by the response from Mr Ramsay. He said: "We have contacted him directly and they are very interested in seeing a sample of the product."