A weekly newspaper editor helped launch a local comedy festival - by doing his own stand-up routine in a city centre.

Sam Holliday, editor of the Bath Chronicle, reckons he is "all six members of the Monty Python team rolled into one."

So when the chance came to be a stand-up comedian this week as part of Bath Comedy Festival, he couldn't resist the opportunity.

Grabbing an "open mic" in the centre of Bath which invites people to get up and tell jokes to passers-by, he rattled off a series of gags he said would probably have got him booed off the stage in a comedy club.

His two-minute stand-up routine included the following gems:

Writing about his experiences on his blog, Sam said: "Like most men I happen to think I'm a pretty funny guy.

"The fact that no-one else around me seems to agree is beside the point - in my own mind I am all six members of the Monty Python team rolled into one.

"Faced with quite a number of clearly bemused tourists, I proceeded to do a two-minute slot that had I been in a comedy club, would have probably got me booed off.

"I told three or four jokes, and was delighted to receive at least one laugh per joke which I assure you is more than I normally get at home or in the office."