A lifelong smoker keen to quit has taken  drastic measures to kick the habit – he has locked his head in a cage which  prevents him from putting a cigarette in his mouth.

Ibrahim Yücel is so unsure of his own  willpower that he entrusts the keys to the bizarre contraption to his family so  he is not tempted to release himself.

The Turkish man was inspired by another  successful health campaign – the safety helmets worn by motorbike  riders.

Mr Yücel, 42, has been smoking two packets of  cigarettes a day since the age of 16, according to Hürriyet.

However, since his father died of lung  cancer, he has been desperate to quit for the good of his health and his  family.

He has made several attempts to give up, but  has always returned to the habit despite his efforts.

So Mr Yücel, from the western  province of  Kütahya, designed the helmet, similar to a birdcage, which  prevents him from  smoking a cigarette at all.

Every morning he heads off to work wearing  the elaborate device – and he takes extra measures to stop himself from opening  it and sneaking a smoke.

He leaves the keys to the cage with his wife  and his children, meaning there is no way he can break his vow to  himself.

The family was initially dubious about his  slightly ridiculous get-up, but after a few days they realised that the plan  might just be the thing to help him give up at last.

However, not all Mr Yücel’s neighbours have  got used to the sight of his head encased in metal.

Video footage shows him walking around his  local area followed by young children, entranced by the unusual  spectacle.

Read more: DailyMail