This cheeky barman is all mouth!

In fact it is in recognition of the Bingley 20-year-old having the gift of the gab that he changed his own name from plain Chris Gray... to Mouth O'Mighty.

And in a bid to wind up inquisitive people questioning his identity, he has even chosen Who Wants to Know' as his middle names.

"It started off as a dare but I've always been a bit cheeky," said Mouth who works at the Suburban Style Bar in Bingley.

"On my first day working at the bar, my boss told me to calm down and shut up, then he called me Mouth - the name just stuck from then on!"

Mouth said it was a friend who dared him to swap names and it took just minutes and £50 to do it on-line.

"We've got this 20p dare thing going between friends," he said.

"My friend Claire from Horsforth dared me to change it on-line by deed poll and that's what I did. She was speechless when I showed her the official documents."

But Mouth has confessed Mouth O'Mighty was not his first choice of name-change - the Deed Poll service refused his first attempt because of an inappropriate surname. "It was a swear word and they didn't like it so I went for my nickname of Mouth O'Mighty instead," he said.

And he added: "I must be one of the most hated people in Bingley, mainly because people are just so jealous of my name! People keep coming up to me wanting to shake my hand."

When Mouth was a pupil at Bingley Grammar School he had a reputation for playing tricks.

"I was always the one getting up to pranks and getting done for talking in class," he said.

"I don't think my teachers would be surprised to hear what I've changed my name to."

But Mouth, who lives in Gladstone Street, admits he did not realise just how serious changing his name would be.

"I just thought it would be a laugh but I've had a reminder letter now saying I've got to change all my bank details. I didn't think I'd have to go that far but you've got to renounce your old name completely!"

One person who is not amused by his new name is his mum Karen, who also lives in Bingley, he confessed.

"Mum's not happy," he said. "She calls me an idiot and wants me to change it back - which I might end up doing eventually."

e-mail: kathie.griffiths@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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