A photojournalist who was the personal photographer to Prime Minister Tony Blair has illustrated a children’s book explaining why it’s important to wash your hands against coronavirus.

The book by Jacob Sutton shows Little Corona becoming caught in a spider's web. She then faces a panel of animal and poulty judges, is found guilty and sentenced to The Taps. These are deadly for any corona. As the taps open up, she is helped to escape by a naughty fly.

Jacob, who took up painting and drawing some years ago, is now in the process of looking for a publisher.

He said: “Coronavirus is a serious subject but I wanted to find a way for young children to understand something very simple like washing hands.

“This is my first illustrated children's book and a new departure. Telling a story through pictures like this is very much a new challenge, which I am enjoying."

Jacob lived for three and a half years in Afghanistan producing over 150 charcoal portraits across the country.

Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer for Facebook, said of his Afghanistan drawings: ‘These are just beautiful – and I am sure it was a very meaningful experience for you.Thank you for such meaningful work."

Another drawing is owned by Hillary Clinton.

He said: “I was to discover Afghanistan to be the most extraordinary country. I say this because of the people. A country with no railway, no internet, no cinemas, no ships, no motorways. I saw major rivers that have turned into streams because of the 20 year drought.

“Yet the Afghan people welcome foreigners with the most wonderful smile and friendliness. One day, after travelling for six hours on a dusty dirt road, I arrived unannounced at a hamlet. It’s lunch time. A family are eating on the floor outside their mud walled home. Getting out of the car the father waves across to join him and share their food. With so little yet so generous you feel human nature truly at its best.

“You don’t want to be anywhere else. The atmosphere is calm and peaceful. The problems of Afghanistan seem a very long way away."

Jacob met Tony Blair when he was living in London and a friend asked him to take some pictures for the prospective MP's flyers.

"Three months later I got a call saying he had got in, he was now an MP, could I come and take some photos of him on the terrace overlooking the river Thames with his wife. I said I would be happy too. He was still a lawyer and while on the terrace he asked me if I could come to his chambers and take photos there too.

"After coming back from Afghanistan I wrote a letter to him and he was now Prime Minister. I proposed I become his personal photographer, documenting what life is like being Prime Minister. He agreed and for the last six months as PM I was his personal photographer."