CLASSICAL music is helping children toilet-train in Liverpool in a world’s first scheme.

The Listening Project saw youngsters tune in to the works of famous composers for 30 minutes a day on Ipods.

Parents said the scheme has worked wonders and their children’s potty habits have improved dramatically.

Specialist nurse June Rogers led the pilot project, which examined the link between childhood continence and classical music.

The head of NHS Liverpool Community Health’s Integrated Paediatric Continence Service has already been awarded an MBE for her work in the field.

The scheme was tried out at Matthew Arnold School, in Toxteth, and was funded by Liverpool Primary Care Trust.

It examined how modified classical music can help children with autism and other learning difficulties to be toilet-trained.

Ms Rogers said: “There is often a presumption that children with special needs cannot be toilet trained.

“Yet we know from experience that many such children have the ability to become continent, if we could only find a way to unlock their potential.

“This project showed that by taking a different approach, we have hopefully been able to find the key to help children reach their full potential and remove the stigma of incontinence.

“However, as this was only a pilot, a larger study is planned to confirm the findings.”

Those children involved in the programme each used an Ipod to listen to the programme of modified classical music twice a day for 15 minutes a time, for a total period of 10 weeks.