Heâ™s made it by a nose

The artist who promised to push a nut with his nose from New Cross to Downing Street arrived today — seven miles, 13 nuts and one very sore nose later.

But today, as he prepared to deliver his nut to 10 Downing Street, he said: "I have really loved doing it."

His feat of endurance is part work of art, part protest at student loans. Mr McGowan, 37, who has gained a degree at Camberwell School of Art and is about to embark on a masters at Goldsmiths College, wants Tony Blair and Education Secretary Charles Clarke to waive his £15,000 debt.

"I’m going to hand the last nut in to Mr Blair," he said. "I am going to give him a letter saying, 'This is in payment for my student debt — don’t come round after this.'

"It's just showing them how hard it is. That’s the whole motive. I wanted to think of something really hard."