It's not very often that a busker in London manages to draw this big a crowd.

But not every busker has the appeal of Tom Jones, who entertained the 1,000-strong audience that had gathered outside the Royal Festival Hall yesterday with a selection of his biggest hits.

Spare some change? Tom Jones belting out his hits next to the Thames

Looking tanned in shades and a navy blue coat, the Welshman, 68, shook his hips and chatted to the crowd, who took pictures on their phones and cheered and sang along to songs such as It's Not Unusual and Green Green Grass of Home.

The event was organised and filmed by the BBC's Culture Show as part of a competition between musicians to see who can raise the most money for charity while busking in public places.

Supergrass, Moby and Dirty Pretty Things were the other bands and musicians that took part in the challenge.

Busker: Tom Jones delighted the South Bank crowd

Accompanied by an acoustic guitarist, Sir Tom managed to raise more than £460 for Cancer Research after champagne buckets were passed around fans, who also lined nearby balconies and climbed trees to get a glimpse.

William Smith, 46, from London, said: “How often do you get to be that close to a legend like Tom Jones when they perform? He was fantastic.”