A GULF War veteran will be sharing his experiences to inspire and motivate an audience at a charity lunch for St Richard's Hospice in March.

Former Squadron Leader John Peters, who now lives in Mamble, near Kidderminster, came to the world's attention when his Tornado fighter was shot down over Iraq on the first day of the first Gulf War in 1991.

He was captured, tortured and held prisoner for 49 days - a fate which was witnessed on television by millions.

He now uses his experiences during Operation Desert Storm to inspire and motivate people in his current role as a management consultant helping businesses improve their performance. John said: "The business world is getting quicker.

"People have less and less time to make decisions. They need to be able to assimilate problems more quickly and have the confidence to make that decision.

"In flying, you have to think ahead - if you procrastinate, the problem gets bigger and the aircraft seems to go faster and faster. It is the same in business."

Tricia Cavell, fund-raising manager for St Richard's Hospice said: "John is one of the leading motivational speakers in the UK and has also built up an international reputation. We are thrilled he has agreed to give his talk to raise funds for our care of patients and families living with cancer and other life-threatening illness.

"I'm sure there will be a great deal of interest from the Worcestershire business community."

Tickets for the event, at Worcester Rugby Club on Friday, March 3, cost £25 a ticket or £250 for a table of 10. Call Tricia Cavell on 01905 763963 or email tcavell@ strichards.org.uk to book.

Building work is well underway on the new £5.25m St Richard's Hospice in Spetchley, near Worcester, which will combine all the current services offered to patients with 15 specialist palliative care beds, which are desperately needed but not currently available in the area.