A SOUTHAMPTON man is trying to raise £1,000 for charity - by using Twitter.

Gray Collins has pledged to update his Twitter status at least once every 10 minutes in a 48 hour period to help raise cash for BASICS doctors.

BASICS provide out-of-hour medical support on a volunteer basis.

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They are fully qualified doctors and nurses but donate their free time as well as their normal jobs.

Gray, 36, from Woolston, started his Tweetathon yesterday and has been going non-stop ever since, and has so fair raised £550.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Gray said: "It has been an amazing experience. Before I had even started I had raised £200.

"The money has mainly come from people I don't even know. Someone has even ordered a pizza for me to help me through it."

Gray, who works for John Lewis, chose to help BASICS after a colleague was treated by some of their volunteers following an accident on the Itchen Bridge.

To donate or see Gray's updates, check the related links below this story.

He is due to end his marathon at midnight tonight.