SELF-CONFESSED fattie priest Brian McConkey has made a rash-er decision to help raise cash for local students -- bacon butties are off the menu!

Rev McConkey, who weighed in at a hefty 17 stone, quit his favourite food as part of a fund-raising diet at the start of Lent last week.

The youth officer for Blackburn Diocese, which covers the whole of East Lancashire, has decided to cut down on calories to help speed students Hannah Bessant and Tom Wilby to South America to study with the Missionary Society.

Making sure Brian steers clear of the butties and biscuit tins, and swaps sticky toffee pudding for yoghurt and keeps up his regular swimming schedule, is his office colleague Mary Binks, of Haslingden, the Diocese children's work adviser.

Hannah, a music student in Blackburn, and Tom, a Sixth Former at Hutton Grammar School, near Preston, need £3,000 to make the trip in August.

Brian, 38, of Billinge Close, Blackburn said that by foregoing his snacks he is hoping to raise about £500.

His favourite butty is one with soft bacon on a white teacake with red sauce, but not too much.

He said: "They are recieving help from the Blackburn Diocese and from their parishes, but I wanted to take some of the responsibility for the fund-raising off them.

"Their project is so worthwhile that it's a pleasure for me to do this for these young people and help them achieve what they want to do." He added: "It seemed particulary appropriate that I could do this during Lent and also try to lose some weight at the same time.

"The trouble is I'm always out and about and eating on the hoof so it's easy to snack on bacon sandwiches and other things.

"I don't have a regular eating time and I don't go home for lunch so burger vans are a major temptation."

Four pounds lighter after just a week of fasting, Brian is optimistic his ten pound target will be exceeded.

He said: "But it's the bacon butties on industrial estates I'll have to watch.

"I can never refuse one of those, especially if it's in the middle of the morning."