A WORCESTER man has been shortlisted to win an around- the-world trip.

Compare The Market's Senior gap year competition called for retiree's who missed out on the chance to do a gap year the first time around to enter for the chance to win an all expenses paid trip.

Stephen Osbourne-Brown, 65 was on his computer at home when he saw the competition advertised. He had to write 200 words explaining why he should be chosen to tour the world for free. A few days later he was on a train when he had a phone call from Compare The Market who told him out of hundreds of entries, he had been shortlisted down to just three candidates.

"I then had to make a video to submit a week later," said Stephen.

"The only problem was that I was due to go to France on a skiing holiday that Saturday, but I finished the video and included footage from the skiing holiday and managed to get it all done in time."

The winner of Senior gap year will receive £10,000 towards their trip in which they must visit at least eight countries and will blog about their experiences.

"As a keen photographer, I’ll be hoping to capture as many unforgettable shots as possible during my adventure, which hopefully the public will enjoy too through my monthly blog.”

Stephen is a retiree living in Worcester. He has had many professions throughout his life including PR Consultant, Photographer, Naval Officer and Helicopter Squadron Officer, serving in the Falklands war based in various locations.

"I'm not sure where about's I'd like to go if I win, because it's still up in the air at the moment and it also depends on a lot of things like time of year. Perhaps I could start travelling around Europe and the Mediterranean, then far east, but I don't want to count my chickens before they've hatched."

Stephen's video is campaigning for as many votes as possible, you can vote for him the Compare The Market website. Voting closes on Friday, March 9.

To vote for Stephen go to www.comparethemarket.com/travel-insurance/content/senior-gap-year-competition.