I have a problem with my 5 year old neutered cat. He was hand reared from a few days old. He is very loving and friendly for a short time then he growls and bites me. He is also very aggressive towards strangers. Any advice welcome

If he's neutered, he's not a "tom."

Has he always been like this, or is this a recent change in behavior?

Yes he has been this way since he was about 1 year old

Your cat may be under some kind of stress. How does he behave exactly when strangers are around??

Kittens that are hand reared without a mother or siblings to help teach them how to be a cat often have some aggression problems. They often don't know how to inhibit play bites, and when they get overstimulated they can become overly aggressive.
I read somewhere that if the cat enjoys petting for 3 minutes and then comes unglued, practice petting for 2 minutes and stop before the onset of aggression. The less this behavior is allowed to happen the more likely the cat will learn to stop on his own and learn to tolerate longer periods of petting.
I suspect guests may overstimulate him as well; I would have them ignore the cat and let him explore the new smells and sounds on his own. No petting unless he asks for it, and then only briefly.
If he actually attacks people, arm them with a spray bottle of plain water. If the cat gets into an aggressive posture, have them give him a squirt in the face. It won't hurt him, but it will startle and distract him. You know how much cats hate to have wet ruffled fur. More than likely he will retreat somewhere to dry himself off and hopefully forget about his original plans.