A PLASTIC box containing only a mobile phone and phone book will become home to a radio listener as she attempts to win £2,000.

Heidi Rogers, 28, of Pickup Street, Clayton-le-Moors, has made the final of Century FM's Living By The Book competition after being selected from thousands of entrants.

But the competition will be even more difficult for Heidi, who will not only have to persuade companies to give her free food and drinks but will also be without her 20 cigarettes a day.

She will be living in a 2.5 square metre box, with a small toilet cubicle attached, in Manchester Arndale Centre and will be competing against a man from Colwyn Bay, who will be put in the same conditions just feet away.

She was due to climb into the box today in front of shoppers and will stay there until the weekend.

Heidi, 28, who works as a part-time sales assistant at The Plumbe Centre, King Street, Blackburn, is hoping locals will get behind her and vote her to victory. She said: "I entered not thinking anything to it and I hadn't even told work but they didn't mind when I found out I was through. Every day challenges will be set by the listeners.

"I might have to try and get someone to donate a ten-tonne truck or a school could ring and want ten computers.

"I've got to use my wit and charm to get anything I need. Unfortunately, I usually smoke 15 to 20 cigarettes a day so I am going to have to use this opportunity to give up smoking completely. I have every confidence I'm going to win though. My local pub The Wellington, in Clayton-le-Moors, is going to be supporting me and we will have voting bins at The Plumbe Centre."

Heidi will also have the backing of friends and family including her fianc Mick.

She said: "I am quite an extrovert but my friends now think I am mad and I'm having a mid-life crisis."