Round-Britain litter campaigner stops off at Lepe Country Park

AN ARMY veteran aiming to litter-pick the entire coastline of Britain stopped off in the New Forest to help inspire local campaigners.

Wayne Dixon arrived at Lepe Country Park with his canine travelling companion Koda to speak during a break in his bid to cover the more than 11,000-mile route to highlight the problem of dumped rubbish.

He recounted his experiences over the 2,700 miles he has covered since starting out in 2016, and said: “Humans have become detached from community and looking after our planet.

“Seeing what’s out there, there is a lot of work to be done especially with fisherman who shred their plastic nets into the sea. It’s pre-meditated environmental destruction.

“We need to step up as a people. Where are our values?”

One of his most satisfying moments, he told the audience, was when someone simply said to him they had been inspired to regularly litter-pick themselves.

As well as highlighting the issue of rubbish, Wayne is also fundraising for mental health charity Mind in memory of his father, John Dixon, who suffered bipolar disorder.

Wayne will be back in the New Forest to pick up the trail after he had to travel back home to Blackburn for treatment for leg pain. He expects to finally finish the challenge by as late as 2021.

To donate, go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving/ and search Wayne Dixon. To offer accommodation when he returns or to join his next local litter-pick, contact Cllr Peter Armstrong on 023 8178 1395.