A PRESTON worker boxed clever to get the autograph of world boxing champion Chris Eubank just to convince his boss he wasn't pulling a fast one.

Boxing fan Jamie Price, from Darwen, pulled no punches when he breezed into a Bamber Bridge fast food restaurant and asked the former middle weight champ to sign the sleeve of his work's luminous yellow coat.

"I've just called my boss and he doesn't believe I've just seen Chris Eubank," said Jamie. "He told me to bring him some proof so I thought an autograph on the work's jacket would do the trick."

Darwen Boxing Club member Jamie was working at a building nearby when he spotted the former Celebrity Big Brother contestant at the newly opened Burger King, in Lostock Lane, opposite Sainsburys supermarket.

Chris, who holds 19 world titles, rolled into the food chain on-board his 10-wheeler Peterbuilt 379 model rig -- driven by Leicester-based trucker Heath Palfrey -- which he bought in the USA seven years ago.

According to Chris, the old-style monster truck -- with the personal registration plate KO 1 -- is the only one of its kind in this country.

But although the celebrity sportsman is passionate about the silver and dark blue engine -- currently pulling a six-wheeled trailer as part of the nationwide Nescafe in Burger King promotion -- he has plenty of time to snooze in the cab because he doesn't hold a valid HGV licence.

Haulage driver Heath said: "Chris hasn't got a HGV class one licence so he can't drive this. We've come from Glasgow this morning and he's slept all the way."

Since retiring from the ring three years ago Chris has been a familiar face on television, with his more recent claim-to-fame coming from a string of Nescafe ads.

And he believes his unique 'deer hunter' look, complete with a 150-year-old walking stick, will help boost Nescafe sales. Although he denies being in favour of hunting animals Chris appears to take his fashion cue from the hunting sect and admitted his beige jodhpurs, chequered jacket and shiny boots were his "normal and everyday clothes".

"This is the way I dress all the time. I have loads of clothes like this," he added. "I'm totally against killing animals. The only thing I would kill are flies. I hate them and would drown them if I could." jwillis@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk