A cabbie who knows London's eateries as well as he knows its streets is to star as TV's latest food critic.

Joey Bone, of Wallington, is set to become one of the capital's most famous restaurant reviewers as the face of new show Food Junkies.

The programme, to be aired air weekly on new channel London Live, will see the 34-year-old travel the city in his black cab to rate the city's restaurants, cafes and bars.

He has no TV experience and bagged the role by chance last year.

Mr Bone, of Bute Road, said: "I was crossing the road - going to get something to eat, funnily enough - when a couple of researchers stopped me in the street for a chat.

"They wanted a cabbie's take on food around London.

"They filmed me on the side of the road having a chat and said if the producers liked it they'd be in touch.

"I didn't think anything of it and then a week later they ring up and the rest is history."

Producers for the programme - made by Jamie Oliver's TV company - whisked him on a tasting tour of the capital's culinary scene over three months of filming to create a 30-episode series.

It will air every Monday night on the new channel owned by Independent and Evening Standard owners Alexander and Evgeny Lebedev, to be aunched next week.

He said: "It is all about food in and around London. There is street food, chefs and all cuisines.

"They took me around all these restaurants over the course of the weeks, all these different cuisines - Thai, Chinese, Indian, pie-and-mash, pizzas, Italian, beer-tasting - and I just gave my verdict on it, my rating."

He added: "I love eating. That's what qualifies me, I think. I like doing a bit of cooking indoors, experimenting.

"I don't think I'm too bad in the kitchen.

"But I think the way they were looking at was they wanted a guy off the street's take on it, rather than a hoity-toity critic.

"It is by the people, for the people."

Food Junkies starts on Monday, March 31 on London Love (Freeview 8, Sky 117, Virgin 159 and online.)

Joey's tips for eating out in Sutton:

Brasserie Vacherin, High Street
La Veranda Ristorante, Beynon Road, Carshalton
The Emperor, Stonecott Hill, North Cheam