An Indian man who claims he is addicted to sand consumes an entire plate of gravel every day.

Hans Raj, 45, has shunned normal snacks and instead chews on pieces of brick and rock, which he says provide him with energy and minerals.

He first developed a penchant for eating grit when he was 20, and has become known as 'the sand man' in his home state of Uttar Pradesh due to his bizarre habit.

Doctors say he may be suffering from Pica, an impulsive and untreatable eating disorder which sees sufferers develop appetites for non-edible foods with no nutritional value