Is this the first person in the world to cure himself of HIV? 'Blessed' 25-year-old urged to have more tests

At first, Mr Stimpson, from Largs, Ayrshire, believed he had been misdiagnosed and sought compensation.

But an investigation confirmed there had been no errors in the labelling or testing of his blood samples.

His recovery has puzzled doctors, but Mr Stimpson believes his case could help experts defeat the disease which already overshadows the lives of almost 35 million people worldwide.

A spokeswoman for The Terence Higgins Trust, the HIV/Aids support group, said the chances of someone clearing themselves of the virus was "the statistical equivalent of going to the moon without a spaceship, " and called for a thorough investigation.

Nevertheless, Mr Stimpson, now based in London, told two Sunday newspapers he felt special and blessed to have been "cured".

He said: "I can't help wondering if I hold the cure for Aids. It is scary and confusing but makes me feel very special.

"That would be remarkable, astounding. But even if by studying my case doctors can better understand HIV, then that would be great as well."

A spokeswoman for Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust, which carried out the initial tests, confirmed Mr Stimpson had had a positive and a negative test for the virus.

However, she added that the patient had so far declined to undergo further tests with them.

She said: "This is a rare and complex case. I can confirm that he has a positive and a negative test. Those tests are both accurate, the positive and a negative. They are correct."

However, she added: "I can't confirm that he's shaken it off - that he's been cured. We urge him, for the sake of himself and the HIV community, to come in and get tested."

Mr Stimpson was diagnosed HIV-positive in August 2002, while in a

relationship with long-term partner, Juan Gomez, who is also HIV-positive.

The former hairdresser said he was initially diagnosed as HIV-negative, but was told by the Victoria Clinic for Sexual Health in west London that the virus takes three months to show up in the blood after contraction.

Another test came back equivocal - neither positive nor negative - while a further two were returned positive.

Mr Stimpson said he did not disclose his condition earlier because he was suing Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust.

Last month, the NHS Litigation Authority found that no errors had been made, and instead, highlighted how his apparent "recovery" baffled doctors.

Mr Stimpson told the Mail on Sunday: "I had feared the worst, even strongly suspected it. But suddenly it was very, very real.

"I was told the chances of the test being wrong were one in a trillion."

Unable to tell his mother, Kathy, he confided only in his sister, Louise, 20, a call centre worker in Erskine, and his partner.

However, just over a year after his first diagnosis, Mr Stimpson took another test.

This time it came back negative.

He said: "It was the last thing I expected. I was astonished. I couldn't understand how anyone could cure themselves of HIV.

"I didn't understand how I could be negative after one year, especially because I had been having unprotected sex with my partner after the diagnosis, believing we had nothing to lose."

An investigation by Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust found there had been no mix-up with the test results, and Mr Stimpson was told there was no case to answer in his litigation claim.

Mr Stimpson told the News of the World: "It's so amazing to think that one day I was staring death in the face, and now I'm waving it goodbye.

"I have no idea how I got rid of the virus. I was just taking daily supplements to keep myself as healthy as possible so as not to get full-blown Aids.

"But maybe it's all down to some genetics in my immune system, so it's important for me to help with research because it can be a big step forward towards a cure for everyone."