A Brexit Party candidate is standing at next month's general election -after flying almost 15,000 miles from his home in Australia.
Ed Punchard, 62, lives in Fremantle, near Perth, where he is a film-maker.
But he has now travelled to Labour-held Tynemouth to stand for the Brexit Party, Chronicle Live reports.
Mr Punchard, originally from Devon, emigrated to Australia after surviving the Piper Alpha oil rig disaster in 1988.
A diver on the rig, he worked to save others before being flown to hospital.
Mr Punchard says there would be no greater privilege for him than to represent the people of Tynemouth, a place he had only "passed through" until recently.
When asked if him living in Australia would deter people from voting for him, Mr Punchard said he was committed to the town and spoke of his intention to buy a house, if elected.
After spending almost 30 years living on the other side of the world, Mr Punchard says there would be no greater privilege for him than to represent the people of Tynemouth, a place he had only 'passed through' until recently.
He said: "I have a great fondness for the North East because of my time in the North Sea.
"It has a place in my heart forever. I believe that for far too long, the people living in northern coastal towns have been too long ignored by Westminster."
He plans to buy a house in the constituency, if elected.
The Tynemouth seat has been held by Sir Alan Campbell since 1997.
Sir Alan, Labour's deputy chief whip, will defend a majority of more than 11,000 at the election.
