Dragon's Den star Duncan Bannatyne plans to donate his £310million fortune to charity before he dies.

The entrepreneur, 59, began his career with a second-hand ice cream van, and went on to build a business empire of health clubs, hotels and a bar. Now the Scot aims to help charities around the world through his Bannatyne Foundation and is looking for causes to help.

"It's my ambition to give away all my money," he said. "This means that £310m should be going to charity, though I hope to make that half a billion by the time I die."

He made the pledge yesterday while in Glasgow to promote a children's charity to which he has already donated money.

The father-of-six, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, was awarded an OBE in 2004 for services to charity.