A Bradford man is set to sell his home to follow his dream of becoming a professional actor.

Andrew Whitlaw, 35, pictured, is putting his house and his Ford Fiesta up for sale to help fund a one-year acting course in London and fulfil a lifetime's ambition of becoming a full-time thespian.

Andrew, who works backstage raising funds at the Northern Ballet Theatre in Leeds, said selling his home is the only way of meeting the £8,000-a-year tuition fees for his course at the London Centre for Theatre Studies.

But the would-be star from Undercliffe admitted that losing his house and car was a sacrifice he is willing to make.

He said: "It's something that I've always wanted to do but never had the guts to. If I don't try it now then I never will.

"I don't want to wake up in 20 years' time thinking 'what if?' and regretting that I never had the bottle to make my dream come true.

"Selling my house and car is a small price to pay."

Andrew, originally from Sussex, came to Yorkshire in the 1980s to study languages at Bradford University.

Once here, the actor became involved in a number of local amateur groups including Bradford Playhouse (now the Priestley Centre for the Arts) and has performed in everything from Shakespearean tragedy to musicals such as Me And My Girl.

His next - and possibly last amateur - performance will be at Ilkley Playhouse next month when he stars in Someone To Watch Over Me.

He said he was bitten by the acting bug at an early age.

"It started at school when a friend persuaded me to get involved in a school production," he said.

"I actually started out as the prompter because I was too terrified to go up on stage. Once I got over that it was great.

"I just get a real buzz out of it. It's not the applause, it's the rehearsals and creating a show that I really enjoy.

"The acting really took off when I came up to Bradford though.

"I've been doing lots of stuff on the amateur circuit ever since I came here. I must have appeared in more than 50 plays."

Andrew is now looking for sponsorship to help him through his year-long course.

He said: "There's no funding available at all for a post-grad course like this so I'm having to find all the money myself.

"I don't expect a handout or anything like that and I will be working to support myself while I'm down there, but if there is anyone out there who would like to sponsor me then that would be great."