Crew member Ritchie Durrant will go under the hammer in an auction conducted by TV’s Paul Atterbury

A YOUNG lifeboat volunteer will be offered as a “slave for a day” when Lyme Regis RNLI stages a celebrity auction.

Nineteen-year-old Ritchie Durrant will take on household chores, do the shopping, gardening, or any other “reasonable request” for the highest bidder at the auction on July 28.

When he joined the service two years ago Ritchie was the youngest lifeboat crew member in the UK.

Now he is studying for a degree in sports therapy and plans to run the London Marathon next year in aid of the lifeboat charity.

The auction will be hosted by TV’s Antiques Roadshow star Paul Atterbury, in a marquee on the harbour slipway – one of many events being staged there during lifeboat week which starts on July 23.

Another novel item for auction is being offered by Danny and Crystal, two rescue ponies who live near Membury.

Four children aged four to seven and weighing up to 25kg each can spend a Saturday morning with the ponies, groom them, put on their saddles and then go for a supervised ride in the country.

There are many other lots for auction including a �200 voucher from Brittany ferries, top quality glassware, works by local artists and a self catering holiday.

The auction starts at 10.30am, and payment for bids will be by cheque or cash only.