Richard Kimberley at his business on Stourport Road
Richard Kimberley, 36, is shutting csmicros on July 22 after claiming radiation signals from wireless technology has given him a rare condition known as electro-hypersensitivity (EHS).
He says he suffers from black outs, headaches and tiredness as a result of working with phones, computers and Wi-Fi signals on a regular basis since launching his business in 1996.
He said: “Due to an over-exposure to the radiation from wireless technology, my health has declined to the point where I cannot continue with the business that I have spent my life building.
“It is a complete life changer and an absolute blow that was totally unexpected.
“I’d wake up five or six times in a night, my joints were aching, I’d have headaches during the day and my memory was awful – I felt atrocious and I had no idea why.
“I’ve had to rely on staff for the past 18 months since becoming EHS. I have persevered, battling with electro-hypersensitivity for as long as I can.”
Mr Kimberley says his symptoms began in 2013 when he moved into a dual shop and house premise on Stourport Road, yet found the problem improved by removing wireless technology at home.
Since October, he has lived in a van fitted with aluminium lining to block out radiation signals.
He added: “Becoming sensitive has turned my life upside down.
“Wireless technology is everywhere and the only way I can avoid it is to camp in the van every night in places I find that are safe.
“I have satellite broadband and a landline in the van, my computer is wired and people can email me or phone my landline if they want me.
“I still have technology, but now I use it safely. It’s an extremely solitary life.”
Mr Kimberley now aims to make his living as a freelance web designer – working from his van – while raising awareness for EHS by writing a blog.
A 2005 report from the World Health Organisation concluded EHS symptoms “are certainly real” but ruled it “is not a medical diagnosis, nor is it clear that it represents a single medical problem”.
EHS, which has caused division in the medical world, hit headlines last year when French courts awarded £580-a-month disability payments to a woman who said she was allergic to Wi-Fi.
Later that year, a Cotswolds schoolgirl took her own life after complaining she suffered from EHS.
