Darts star Cameron Menzies is forced to carry a hand-warmer to prevent his throwing hand from going numb after he smashed it in frustration at the World Championship. He left the Ally Pally crowd and TV viewers stunned when he repeatedly punched his drinks table on stage. Menzies walked off bleeding heavily from his right hand following a first-round defeat to Charlie Manby, 20.

He underwent surgery the following day, sustained nerve damage and could have effectively ended his darts career. The 36-year-old Scottish ace is still able to throw, but his hand loses feeling in cold conditions. He revealed he relies on a hand-warmer to restore sensation. World No.27 Cameron, who dated leading female darts star Fallon Sherrock for four years before the couple split last year, said the on-stage outburst had left him with 'a lot of issues'.

"After losing the fight with the table I went for an operation the next day," he said. "They checked the tendons and the nerves so I was lucky not to sever any, but I did damage a few.

"When it's cold I get a lot of issues. It goes numb. I get pins and needles. When it's warm it's not perfect. But where I hold the dart isn't where the nerve damage is. The damage is on the inside of my finger and I hold the dart on the outside so nine times out of 10 it's fine.

"When my hand's cold I get problems. It goes numb. It gets sore, pins and needles so I keep a hand warmer in my bag." Menzies has confessed he contemplated walking away from darts following his Ally Pally outburst. He has since disclosed that he is undergoing therapy and is in a far better place.

"Life is a lot better," he told talkSPORT. "I'm at the gym and, I'll tell you something that not many folk know, that I've got an issue with my heart and high blood pressure and an ectopic heartbeat.

"It's quite common, my family has always had heart issues and stuff so my weight was bad. I was 21st and I'm down to 18st at the moment. I am trying to look after myself a bit more because of doctor's orders.

"Life is generally in a good place compared to where it was three or four months ago and I'm doing hypnotherapy treatment which is a massive thing. It just makes things easier.

"I don't know how to explain it but when things become complicated and hard, you break it down into smaller problems.

"I've not had a great start of the year but I do think I've been playing well in practice and I do think in games I'm a bit nervous because I've been trying too hard."

The former plumber, who left his day job to concentrate on darts, defeated five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld, 59, at the European Darts Grand Prix at the weekend.