There will be something fishy going on at the House of Commons tonight when a Coventry character is honoured for his hard work for charity.

Rupert the Fish collected over £1,000 to raise money for the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fisherman in Coventry Retail Market.

Rupert – real name Robert Stephenson – collected more than any individual fishmonger in the country on the national fundraising day, and rivalled some national chains in the sum he raised.

His efforts included a giant display of a shipwreck to attract interest in his collection.

He was presented with a certificate acknowledging his efforts by the Minister for Fish Elliot Morley in a special ceremony at the House of Commons.

Rupert, who picked up his nickname in the 1970s because of the yellow checked trousers he wore, said it was important to provide for families of fishermen who died at sea.

He said: 

“I’m absolutely chuffed about it. I will be accepting it on behalf of all the citizens of Coventry who put in their pounds and pennies.”

He added that people in the city had been very generous, with tragedies such as the disappearance of the Solway Harvester - when seven people from Whithorn in Scotland died - in January reminding everyone of the perils of the sea.

Rupert said: 

“We buy some of our shellfish from the area and we thought we should support some of the families.”

Rev Robert Stephen, who works for the mission, said Rupert’s efforts were second to none.

He said that people in land-locked cities frequently gave more to help fishermen and their families.

Rev Stephen said: 

“A death certificate is not issued if a body is not recovered for seven years. This can cause a lot of hardship for families."