A CARAVAN break, a DIY injury and a quad-biking session have been the highlights of an internet experiment following the life of an average family.

The online experiment looking at the UK's "most typical family" enters its half-way stage this week.

The Want family from Ystrad Mynach, near Caerphilly, were chosen by technology giants Epson to appear on a special website monitoring their lives for 100 days.

Worlds away from the sensationalism of Big Brother or I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here, the most exciting incidents of the past 44 days have included John Want losing part of his finger after dropping a patio slab on it.

"In the age of reality TV a lot of people want to do the Jade Goody thing but this was something we wanted to do to publicise the fact we're a nice normal family unit.

"There are so many other normal families out there and this shows you don't have to be Jordan to make a few headlines.

After a six-month search, the Wants were chosen for what Epson calls "a social experiment", and will receive a prize of £11,250 and the use of a host of the latest gadgets such as digital cameras and home cinema projectors.

Their progress can be monitored at http://www.theepsonfamily. co.uk