Boris Johnson wants more young people camping

London Mayor Boris Johnson has hailed the camping experience and suggested more young people should get the chance to enjoy an outdoor holiday.

In a column for The Telegraph, the Conservative politician praised organisations like the Scouts, Guides and Army Cadets for taking so many youngsters to campsites in England, claiming that such experiences can be hugely beneficial for the development of their character.

He said: "At the risk of sounding like a character from Enid Blyton, there is absolutely nothing to beat camping. I love the exultation you get when you rise from the groundmat and all your aches melt away from your body as you realise that the night is over at last."

Mr Johnson explained that he recently went to see a group of Scouts training for their next camping trip and got "a bit choky" when he found how happy they seemed to be.

The 47-year-old is not the only major public figure to align themselves with the Scouts this month, with the Duchess of Cambridge also showing her backing for the organisation by offering to volunteer at branches local to her in North Wales, reported The Sun.

Kate Middleton, who was in the Brownies when she was younger, has had countless offers to become a charity patron and has accepted several. But she will only serve as royal patron for the National Portrait Gallery, Children's Hospice in East Anglia, Action on Addiction and The Art Room.