Rosie Skinner gets through at least two large sponges a week.

But rather than scrubbing her car or cleaning her bathroom, the 19-year-old is addicted to eating them.

The teenager has suffered the strange addiction since she was five years old.

A student from Epson, Surrey, Miss Skinner cuts the sponges into small pieces and sucks on them throughout the day, in the same way most teenagers snack on chocolate or crisps.

Pica is the name given to a condition in which people eat objects which are not suitable to be consumed and have no nutritional value.

Rosie Skinner, 19, craves eating sponges and gets through around two a week. 'I have always loved the smell of a wet sponge. I crave that damp taste and feeling in my mouth,' she says

Miss Skinner now eats at least two large sponges a week (pictured right). At 10 years old (pictured left) she lost her tooth in a sponge, and at 13 had surgery to remove a big ball of sponge from her stomach

Miss Skinner (pictured left) says she doesn't feel confident revealing her habit around other people. Her family, and boyfriend Callum, 18 (pictured right) say she is 'mad'

People have been known to eat dirt, glass, pain and sand, as well as household objects like carpets, candles and sponges.

Miss Skinner, who attends Reigate Sixth Form College, said: 'I have always loved the smell of a wet sponge.

'I crave that damp taste and feeling in my mouth.

'I like the texture as well, it's a bit like eating cake.

'I might try one with some icing on one day. If I have a stressful day I love to treat myself to snack on a sponge to relax.'

Pica can cause a range of serious complications if the person eats something that is poisonous or indigestible.

And in Miss Skinner's case the bizarre habit has resulted in her being admitted to hospital.

When she was 13, she had to have an operation to remove a large ball of sponge from her stomach.

WHAT IS PICA SYNDROME? Pica is an eating disorder that is characterised by the desire to eat items with little or no nutritional value. These can include stones, sand, paint and dirt. It is most common in people with learning disabilities and during pregnancy. It can cause a range of serious complications if the patient is eating something that is poisonous or indigestible. Advertisement

She said: 'It was a bit of a weird situation. I started having stomach aches and then they developed into really severe pains.

'I was rushed to hospital where doctors removed a ball the size of a small mouse from my stomach.

'The doctor's said it was a bit weird and they told me to stop eating sponge.

'I tried to do what the doctors told me, but I can't fight my cravings entirely. Now I just chew it for a while and spit it out.'

Miss Skinner also once lost a tooth in a sponge when she was ten years old.

She said: 'I was eating a sponge and my tooth came out in it. It took me a while to explain to my mum why it was in a sponge.'

Miss Skinner, who favourite sponges are those available at hardware store Wilko, said she is trying to kick the habit for good.

She said: 'I even take little sandwich bags to college with pieces of sponge in it so I can eat it during my lectures.

'I would like to quit, but I still haven't grown out of the habit yet.

'I thought about buying a proper luxury sponge from the sea, but that would be taking things too far.

'I'm not very confident doing it around people - I know it's weird.

'My family and my boyfriend, Callum, think I'm mad, but I don't mind, it's just part of who I am.'

Doctors told Miss Skinner to stop eating sponges, but she finds it difficult to resist the cravings. If she has a stressful day, she likes to snack on a sponge to relax

'I would like to quit, but I still haven't grown out of the habit yet,' Miss Skinner says

In August MailOnline reported the story of two sisters from Bradford who regularly eat candles and second-hand books.

Adele, 50, began eating candles as a child. She now eats around two inches of wax every day, much like many people tuck into a chocolate bar.

She says candles are an emotional crutch - and the 300 she has eaten in her lifetime have apparently never caused her any health problems.

'When I was eight or nine I started sniffing fire lighters,' she told ITV's This Morning. 'I then started nibbling on candles and have done ever since.'

For her twin sister Anita, also 50, Pica struck later in life - when she was pregnant 24 years ago.

'I began having cravings for things that smelled like old bus tickets,' she told presenters Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes.

'When I found the smell again, it was in an old book - and I haven't been able to stop since.

'The older the book, the better it tastes. I just love really old books. It's like eating a chocolate bar.'

She now scours charity shops looking for ripe old tomes - and is unbothered by the germs and dust they may be harbouring.