A STRETFORD shop worker will be spending 50 hours locked inside a glass box tomorrow to show the public how it feels to live with autism.

Steve Young, 46, a Click and Collect grocery assistant at Tesco Extra, will be spending more than two days trapped inside the glass box in the entrance of the 24-hour Chester Road store, starting Wednesday July 6 at noon.

No electronics will be allowed in the box. Steve will be able to take in a few puzzles or magazines and will have a five minute toilet break every two hours – but he will also have to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag under the bright supermarket lights.

“The most important thing about this for me is that I will start to understand how it feels to be treated differently, to feel trapped and stared at and hopefully I can help other people realise this as well,” Steve said.

“I’m worried about feeling self-conscious and not feeling safe or secure, and children living with autism have to experience these sensations day in and day out.”

Steve added: “I am a bit of a social media addict so I will probably struggle when I can’t check Facebook or Twitter every five minutes. And I don’t think I will sleep very well with people staring at me all night long either.”

In the process, Steve aims to raise £2000 for Caudwell Children, a charity that provides family support services, equipment, treatment and therapies for disabled children and their families across the UK. The donations collected will help to support autistic children and their families in the Stretford area.

David Cardew, store manager at Tesco Extra in Stretford, said Steve’s colleagues were proud of him.

“I’m sure it won’t be easy but we’ll be here to support him all the way,” he said. “We hope our customers will get behind him as well.”

Donations can be made in store during Steve’s challenge, as well as on his JustGiving page (justgiving.com/fundraising/stevelockedin) and by texting LIFA 76 £3 to 70070.