Assistant editor at The Royal Gazette Jeremy Deacon gamely signed on to grow a moustache in support of Movember.

Mr Deacon said men were terrible when it came to getting real about issues such as prostate cancer and so he was eager to do his part.

However the growth has become a real annoyance to the normally clean-shaven Mr Deacon.

Almost three weeks in, he said the only time he enjoys his new moustache is when he's asleep.

"The early agony involved in growing it has gone, only to be replaced by continuously having to wipe the coffee out of it. Yuck," he said.

"My wife refuses to kiss me and my children, aged seven and four, point to their cheeks when it's time for a goodnight kiss. I can see it out of the corner of my eye and it looks like some hairy caterpillar resting under my nose, freaking me out.

"I saw my reflection and realised that with the Mo I had way too much hair, so promptly got my hair cut as short as possible."

In short, he said: "I hate it with a passion. If it was not for this cause, it would have lasted two days, if that."

Although not enamoured of the Mo, Mr Deacon will keep it till the month's end to help change the face of men's health.

And he said the moustache does have one advantage: "It gets the kids out of bed in the morning. All I have to do is threaten to kiss them and they move like Usain Bolt."