A grandfather whose phobia of being “attacked” by moths was so intense he avoided his garden during summer evenings for decades now loves the insects thanks to a fear-curing clinic. Dave Jackson, 59, from Darwen, Lancashire, developed a phobia of moths, known as lepidopterophobia, in his early 20s after working nights at an envelope-making factory where the winged insects were attracted to the lights and the warm appliances. The machine operator said the harmless bugs “frightened the life” out of him when they fluttered past his head or flew into objects, adding he thought they were “out to get” him.