A NORTH-EAST man is set to put his life on hold for 50 hours in order to raise awareness of autism, by spending 50 hours locked inside a glass box.

Andrew Robertson, who manages delivery drivers at the Tesco Extra store, at Askham Bar, York, is planning to enter the 3x2 metre structure in the supermarket’s foyer at 2pm tomorrow and remain there until 4pm on Saturday.

Mr Robertson, 23, from Berwick-upon-Tweed, said while autism was among the country’s most prevalent disabilities with 133,500 children in the UK diagnosed with the condition, “a staggering number” had little or no understanding about it.

He is hoping his time in the box will give him a better appreciation of the condition.

He said: “People have told me that it can be a lonely place when your child is diagnosed on the autistic spectrum. I’m hoping that parents of children with the condition come into the store and tell me about their experiences.

Mr Robertson said he was also hoping to raise awareness of the work that the national charity Caudwell Children does in supporting children with the condition.

He said: “I’ve never done anything like this before so it will be really interesting to see how I react being in the full gaze of the public, with nowhere to hide, and being stared at by thousands of shoppers.”

To donate to Caudwell Children, visit justgiving.com/andrewlockedin