A MOTHER of two is dreading the return of Dr Who to TV screens because she claims her terror of Daleks has ruined her life.
Just hearing the words "exterminate, exterminate" makes Shona McLaren shudder.
The 43-year-old has sought medical help for her phobia and has even asked members of her local church to pray for her. But so far nothing has worked.
She said yesterday: "There is absolutely no way I'll be anywhere near a TV on Saturday. I am just terrified by Daleks. I know they do not really exist but the very thought of them sends me into a blind panic."
Shona, of Alloa, Clackmannanshire, has always avoided repeat showings of the sci-fi show and stayed indoors when a Dr Who exhibition came to a nearby town. She said: "My two sons grab the remote control if something slightly related comes on."
And when Christopher Eccleston, 40, takes over the role alongside Billie Piper, 22, on BBC1 at 7pm on Saturday, Shona will be ducking for cover.
She added: "The last thing I want to see is Daleks back on the TV - they have ruined my life. A lot of people tend to think it is funny but to me it is very serious. I hate their silver body, long arms and antennae."
Mark Kenwright, a phobia expert at London's Maudsley Hospital, said: "It may seem strange to most people that she fears something as odd as Daleks, but the fear is real to the sufferer."
Caption: ALIENATED: Shona suffers a crippling fear of the Daleks
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