One man found out the hard way just how dangerous some phobias can be when he tried to face his fear of heights and came crashing back to Earth. Watch the video below:

Alan Jeal, from Wrexham, is so scared of heights that he can’t even climb a stepladder to trim his garden hedge.

However, after making a £10 bet with his wife Karen and sinking a couple of pints, the dad-of-four generated the required amount of Dutch courage to give it a go.

Sadly, however, the 61-year-old’s venture, which was caught on camera, ended in tears when he went head first into his bush.

And since the hilarious clip was posted on social media by his youngest, 29-year-old Scott, it has received more than 2,800 likes and been shared over 7,600 times.

Opening up about his fear, Alan admitted that he quickly realised he had probably made the wrong decision.

“I am terrified of going up ladders,” he said. “I can’t even go up two or three steps on a step ladder. The lads have to cut the top of the hedge.

“But as soon as I go up I start shaking, but I’d had a bit of Dutch courage – I’d already had a couple of pints.

“I was like, ‘Look at this, I can go up to the top,’ and it didn’t bother me.

“We’d been to town in the afternoon and it was such a nice day – it was a Saturday afternoon – and we thought it was too nice to be sitting in the pub.

“We decided to come home and do a bit of a barbecue.

“I wanted one of my lads to go to the bookies to take a bet for me but they wouldn’t.

“So my missus said, ‘Climb the ladder and jump the hedge and I’ll put a £10 bet on for you.'”

Before Alan knew it, he was on his back in the hedge – where he was stuck for 20 minutes.

He added: “I didn’t even know he was filming.

“I didn’t know that would happen – I just went to the top and I was gone. I must have been in the hedge for 20 minutes – I was wedged, I couldn’t move.

“These things happen – you don’t plan to do things like that because you could hurt yourself.

“I was lucky really I didn’t hurt myself, I just got nettled a bit, that’s all.”

Well, at least he can see the funny side.