Ray gets risqué for charity

"Tough-guy" actor Ray Winstone has bared all to help his local pub raise money for the Prostate Cancer Charity.

Winstone stripped down to the bare essentials to pose as"Mr August" in a risqué calendar including nude poses of regular drinkers at the Crusader pub in Roydon, Essex.

The sale of the calendar and a celebrity-gift auction helped raise £7,000 for the charity.

Winstone, 47, who recently returned to this country after filming Ned Kelly in Australia, said: "It's the first time I've had stage fright in a long time. I needed a couple of quick drinks to steady my nerves".

"It was all in a good cause. Most men get a bit anxious if they suspect they have a problem below the belt especially if it might affect their sex life," he added. "However, if men ignore early symptoms it could lead to worse problems later on. If our bit of light-hearted fun helps raise awareness of this disease then it will all be worthwhile."

Wendy O'Sullivan, who runs the Crusader with husband, Tim, said the response to the fund-raising has been "absolutely staggering".

"This is a male-orientated pub so we chose the Prostate Cancer Charity because we know it affects thousands and thousands of men every year," she explained.

"Ray has been a regular at the pub for about 18 months and he was only too willing to help. Once they got their kit off, our models really entered into the swing of things although there were some you wouldn't wish to ever see nude again!"