15921/1A MYSTERIOUS angler who haunts the towpath of the Kennet and Avon Canal near Prison Bridge, Devizes, is offering a unique prize for a very unusual competition.

The local man, simply known to the angling fraternity as the Perch Man, because of his particular skill at catching the fish, is also a noted painter and is offering a watercolour of himself fishing at Prison Bridge as a prize for the person who correctly guesses his name.

The 58-year-old Avon Road resident, who signs his paintings "RR", contracted Crohn's Colitis six years ago, as a result of which he had to have a large part of his intestines removed.

He said: "I would like to raise some money to fight Crohn's Colitis and I thought offering this painting as a prize would be a good way of fundraising.

"One in 1,000 of people nationally contract bowel problems but it rises to one in 700 in the West Country, for what reason no-one really knows."

The Perch Man has a particular attachment for Prison Bridge. He has adopted it in a fundraising campaign by the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust. He said: "Fishing and painting are both very relaxing pastimes and I get a lot of enjoyment out of both. I always fish at Prison Bridge because I need to take regular medication and it is not far for me to get home."

Anyone interested in having a guess and raising money for the National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease, can get further details from the fishing tackle shop in Snuff Street.