Beryl Indge's husband now calls her Bionic Beryl after the great-grandmother became the first deaf person to receive a second ear implant.

Mrs Indge can now distinguish sounds after taking part in a new study to test cochlea implants.

The 69-year-old, who lives in Lark Hill, Hove, with husband Ken, said the second implant had dramatically improved her quality of life.

The cochlea implant is split into two parts. The first part is implanted during surgery and is placed at the side of the head and in the inner ear.

The second part of the device is worn outside the head like a hearing aid, attached to the inner part by magnets. This works as a speech processor and delivers sound to the inner ear.

She said: "I've noticed so much difference and can now tell which direction sound is coming from.

"I can tell that an aeroplane is overhead, whereas before I would have just heard the noise. My brain will gradually learn again and I'm hoping to be able to hear the notes of music."

Mrs Indge agreed to take part in the national study at the University of Southampton after receiving her first implant two years ago.

She had been totally deaf for a year after suffering poor hearing for 13 years.

She said: "Nobody could say why I had lost my hearing although doctors thought it may be hereditary."

The first implant enabled Mrs Indge to hear sounds again and communicate with her husband and family.

She said: "It was really wonderful. Ken and I went out for a walk and I could hear the snow crunching under my feet and the birds singing. I could also hear the voices of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

Mr Indge, 72, said it had been a tough time but he was delighted by his wife's progress.

He said: "When you are struck with deafness it takes the wind out of the sails of both partners. I had to write everything down for her. Now she can speak to me when we're driving the car. I call her Bionic Beryl!"

Mrs Indge had the second implant fitted in a four-hour operation in August.

She began having it tuned last Monday at the Cochlea Implant Centre at the university.

Julie Brinton, joint head of the centre, said: "This is unique research to test the benefits of two implants.

"Beryl did very well with her first implant and we're hoping she will do as well with the second one.

"It will give her very good hearing."