A FORMER Army officer is planning to live rough for a week in woodland near York to raise funds for Children In Need.

John Mayo, who is general manager of the 8,000-acre Escrick Park Estate, will enter woods on the estate on November 9 with just the clothes he is wearing - and he will take with him only a cup, two cooking pots, cutlery, knife, bilhook, snares, a first aid kit and water purification tablets to ensure any fresh water he finds is safe to drink.

However, for emergencies, he will also have a basic first aid kit and two-way radio.

He said today he will have to hunt for food and water, build a shelter and survive the elements for a week with no human contact.

John, 38, who is married with a seven-year-old daughter, does however plan to write a daily diary which he will place in a dead letter box for supporters to collect and discover how he is faring.

He said, because of his Army experience, he had a realistic understanding of the risks and challenges he will face and was determined to see the week through.

"Unless I chop a limb off, I will be staying." he pledged.

"For food, I am planning to catch rabbits, and there are pheasants running around, and I hope to knock a few on the head. I've also been watching where a squirrel is hiding his nuts, and I'm planning to nick a few of them."

John said he had been 18 years in the Army before leaving last year, serving as a Major in the Duke of Wellington Regiment, and had been on survival courses before - but with the food provided.

He said he would be weighed before entering the woods late on the morning of Friday, November 9, having been waved off by children from Escrick Primary School.

On Children In Need Day, Friday November 16, the children would come into the woods and he would show them his shelter and explain how he had survived.

Then he would emerge to a welcoming ceremony involving the children, family, friends, colleagues and the owner of Escrick Park, Charlie Forbes Adam.

He would then be weighed again, with the child who guessed his exit weight more accurately being given a prize donated by the Escrick Park Estate.

Then he would be given his favourite meal to enjoy - fish and chips.

John is aiming to raise £10,000, and has already got £5,000 in sponsorship, and hopes to involve as many members of the community and local businesses as possible in reaching his target. He said anyone wanting to sponsor him should phone 01904 728252.