A "notorious" food lover is getting ready to spend just £1 a day on food and drink for five days to raise awareness about extreme poverty.

Sam Jones, 25, from Walkfield Drive, Epsom Downs, is among the thousands of people all across the world who are taking part in the Live Below the Line Challenge later this month.

Mr Jones works as a campaigns assistant for Global Poverty Project which coordinates the Live Below the Line challenge internationally.

He said: "I am a notorious lover of food and friends go cross-eyed at the thought of me even trying such a task, so why am I doing it?

"Well that’s just it. I know it’s going to be tricky.

"For me the challenge isn’t about imitating poverty, but rather it serves as an opportunity for humble contemplation and self-challenge.

"It holds up a mirror to your own privilege, forcing you to ask yourself the tough question - ‘if I found the challenge difficult, how on earth would I be able to cope with the reality of living for £1 every single day?’ "It’s a harsh wake-up call.

"So wish me the best of luck. I know I’m going to be seriously grumpy at points and by the end I’ll probably never want to eat rice again, but hopefully I’ll manage to raise a bit of money and awareness about a really important issue."

Mr Jones has already raised £290 which will go towards fighting extreme poverty. The Live Below the Line Challenge will take place from Monday, April 27, to Friday, May 1.

For more information on the challenge and to sign up visit www.livebelowtheline.com/uk

To sponsor Mr Jones visit www.livebelowtheline.com/me/jonesscl