AN EX-SOLDIER is living in the wild for a week to test his survival skills and raise thousands of pounds for Children In Need.

John Mayo, general manager at Escrick Park, will live rough in the estate's woods without any human contact until Friday.

Mr Mayo, 38, who only has the clothes he is wearing and basic equipment, will survive by hunting for food and building his own shelter.

The challenge has been supported by local charities and businesses and is set to raise more than £8,000.

Mr Mayo said: "Escrick Park wanted to do something different for Children In Need and they came up with this idea. Then we had to decide who would do it and everyone looked at me.

"I am confident that I have looked at all the risks and have minimised them as much as possible."

Children from Escrick Primary School, who will keep track of John's charity effort in class, were there to give him his last cup of tea and a biscuit before he disappeared into the woods yesterday.

Year 6 pupils will monitor John's attempt via a website blog made from daily messages he will leave at the edge of the woods.

Teacher Steven Capewell said: "The children are excited about how he will survive. This is the talk of the school.

"We wanted to make the children more aware of children that are suffering and this gets them them stop and think."

Primary school pupil Emma Penistone said: "People usually do runs for charity and this is a bit different."

Her classmate Cameron Calvert said: "I think he's brave, but he's also a lunatic."

As part of fundraising activities, the children have taken part in a contest to guess Mr Mayo's weight when he leaves the woods.

He weighed 13 stone before his challenge.

John said: "If the hunting is successful, I think I will lose a couple of pounds. If not, it might be half a stone."

As an ex-Army major, John is aware of the dangers of the challenge and has carried out a full risk assessment.

He is equipped with water purification tablets and cooking equipment and, in the event of an emergency, a basic first aid kit and a two-way radio.

To hunt he will have a knife, snares and a billhook - an agricultural cutting tool.

Charles Forbes Adam, owner of Escrick Park Estate, said: "We greatly admire John's effort to show us all how to live in harmony with nature and to show us that it is possible to survive on much less than we think."

  • See The Press next week for John Mayo's daily diary.