Posh brings touch of glamour to Peruvian slums

Victoria Beckham put her marital troubles to one side as she visited poverty-stricken children working on a rubbish tip in Peru.

Seeing the children on their hands and knees sifting through piles of burnt junk, it was worlds away from the glamorous lifestyle led by the former Spice Girl.

The three-day trip was filmed as part of a Sport Relief documentary highlighting the plight of disadvantaged communities and will be shown on BBC1 next month.

Victoria, also known as Posh, wore a simple cropped grey t-shirt, dark trousers and sand coloured boots, with her hair swept back in a pony tail.

She met 11-year-old Dinah, one of the girls trying to make a living from the dump on the outskirts of Peru’s capital Lima.

Dinah’s mother died three years ago and she now works alongside her father to earn enough money to live.

They try to retrieve bits of glass, metal and bone to sell, but many children working at the pit have been struck down with stomach and lung problems, as well as fungal infections.

Wearing a simple red string bracelet around her wrist, Victoria worked alongside Dinah, picking at the ground with a knife and trying to unearth buried material.

Speaking of her time in South America, Victoria said: “I have never experienced anything like it. The poverty that people face everyday is unbelievable.

“To Dinah it’s just part of normal everyday life and her positive outlook stays strong in spite of the difficult circumstances.”

Troubles which are sharply contrasted with those faced by the England football captain’s wife, who has been in the glare of the media spotlight following reports of her husband’s alleged infidelities.

But away from the furore over her marriage, the pop star described the conditions in Peru as “heart-breaking”.

“As a mother, to see children living with these challenges everyday is heart-breaking but they continue to remain upbeat,” she said.

“To witness the struggles of one family first hand and spend time with them has been unforgettable.”

The Sport Relief documentary, A Mile in Their Shoes, also followed Nick Knowles in Zambia who met 11-year-old Joseph, orphaned by Aids and forced to look after his smaller brothers and sister.

The third part of the film shows Patrick Kielty travelling down the east coast of India with 10-year-old Vijay, who lives rough as one of thousands of homeless “railway children”.

Sport Relief, a joint venture between Comic Relief and BBC Sport, has raised more than £14 million since its first appearance in 2002.

Its main fund raising event, on live television, will take place on July 10.