A CLACKMANNAN man, whose wit and humour helped him deal with the aftermath of a tuberculosis infection, is hoping to see his jokes published in a book.

Mohammed Ashraf, 52, suffers from epilepsy and was left partially sighted more than two decades ago after the condition took hold and attacked his brain.

He was on the verge of death, but pulled through and it was his time in hospital that brought him closer to comedy than ever before.

The father-of-three told the Advertiser: “I was in the hospital for about three months.

“One of my friends came to see me and before he went away he gave me a joke-book – he said 'that will pass your time'.

“By the time I got out of hospital I knew all the jokes near-enough by heart and wherever I used to go I couldn't help my self but tell jokes.”

Inspired by a friend, he realised he would have to come up with his own material if he wanted to be a serious comedian.

Slowly, he started doing just that, building the material up over time.

His career then took a leap forward, and he was now doing stand up at pubs and bars around Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Wee County.

Mohammed, or Ash as he is sometimes known, even made the finals of So You Think You're Funny, hitting the stage at Edinburgh's Gilded Balloon in 2008.

However, his epilepsy took a turn for the worse recently, with family and friends worried about the additional risks long hours of travel would bring for someone with the condition.

“There are quite a lot of problems with me, so I don't get out as much as I could,” explained the former chef, who had to undergo an operation that allowed blood to circulate back to his brain.

Over the years, Mohammed has written hundreds of jokes and is hoping someone may be interested in publishing them in a book.

Some are clean while others are aimed at an adult audience, but they are all promised to be rib tickling.

His creative drive never stops, and to ensure no laughs are lost he keeps a notebook under the couch in the living room along with one in the bedroom.

He also carries a handy notepad is always in his jacket, should a cracking one came to mind when out and about.

Anyone interested in helping getting his works published can contact Ash on 01259 720 703