A man who once wrote an ode to his underpants has now put himself forward to be a member of the House of Lords.

Peter Mitchell shot to fame last year when his pants poem was broadcast to more than a million listeners on Sarah Kennedy's Radio 2 show.

And if the part-time poet and electrical engineer gets his way, he will soon be refusing to answer to anything other than 'My Lord'.

Mr Mitchell, 46, has applied to be a 'people's peer' - the new do-it-yourself nobles created by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

After nominations for the people's peers were opened last Wednesday, Mr Mitchell was one of the first to put his name on the list.

He said: "When I saw you could apply to be in the House of Lords, I thought, 'I can do that'. I would be a good peer because I'm grassroots. Some of the peers we have now are on a different level, they're not of the people. They need someone fresh who's in touch with the people, like me."

Every adult in the country is now free to apply for a peerage under the new Government scheme, which aims to inject some new blood into the Upper House.

Only ten of the people's peers will be created this year, but Peter Mitchell, of Thyme Close, Shoreham, thinks he is in with a good chance. Mr Mitchell said his past achievements included assisting the Conservative party at elections and being divorced by his first wife.

"If I was chosen as a peer I would promote Shoreham, which is where I was born. I would promote family life and things like that, and I would work towards improving the rights of construction workers. I was 28 years in the building trade. I would promote health and safety more."

If Mr Mitchell did succeed in his bid to become a lord, he would take up his seat next spring after approval by the Queen.

As a working peer, he would be able to claim the title Lord Mitchell, as well as having the right to be called 'My Lord'.

Mr Mitchell said most of his friends had scoffed at his ambitions: "One or two of them have said good luck but they think I'm aiming a bit high. When I do get appointed, I'll give them a shock. I'll invite them all round for afternoon tea and they will have to call me Lord."