Help with 3 yr old who's terrified!

[Buddy81]

For nearly a year now we have been potty training on and off and hoping that our 3 yr old son would come to it in his own time, but I'm starting to think he will never get there. He is happy to sit on the toilet or potty but will not do anything in them - as soon as he feels as if he is about to wee he jumps up and begs for a nappy.

He has perfect bladder and bowel control - even when in nappies he tells us when he needs to do a wee or will have a poo if we ask but will only do it in a nappy. He can hold his wee in all day if wearing his big boy pants but gets so distressed when he is obviously desperate to go, crying and screaming for a nappy.

I'm wary of him getting urine infections because of how long he can hold it in, so end up putting him back in nappies just so he can go. I spoke to our health visitor who said she had never heard of such a reaction to potty training so am now stumped. Anyone able to offer any advice or success stories from similar issues?