England captain in a spin with plumbing attempt

The master batsman proved not to be a master craftsman as Kevin Pietersen attempted a bit of plumbing for charity.

The England cricket captain was supporting a Barnardo's scheme to help unemployed youngsters from deprived backgrounds learn a skilled trade such as plumbing, electrics and carpentry.

All-rounder KP, a dab-hand with bat and ball, was unable to show the same finesse when confronted with copper piping that needed bending at charity skills centre 'The Hub' in London's East End last week.

"Many of these youths used to bunk off school or get into trouble with police," he said. "But they are turning their lives around with Barnardo's help. It's inspiring to see," Pietersen said.

Barnardo's launched a Teens' Speech project inviting youngsters all over the country to upload their video message on issues important to them, and their efforts will be displayed the homepages of Myspace and YouTube on Christmas day.

As for captain Kev - stick to cricket mate!