Briton wins 'best job in the world'

A British charity fundraiser has been given a job as a caretaker of an Australian tropical island.

Ben Southall was picked as the winner after an advertising campaign from Tourism Queensland that attracted 34,700 video entries from almost 200 countries, Reuters reports.

In his new role, the 34-year-old will explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef for six months, reporting back to the tourism body with blogs, video diaries, a photo diary and interviews, all for a salary of AU$150,000 (£74,000).

Southall said: "To go away now as the island caretaker for Tourism Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef is an extreme honour.

"I hope I can fill the boots as much as everybody is expecting, my swimming hopefully is up to standard and I look forward to all of the new roles and the responsibilities that the task involves."