Wayne has his pick of beauty spots

Wayne Dixon and his dog Koda at St Annes beach on their epic litter picking journey walking the coast of Britain

But for one man on a mission to keep Britain tidy it was the sands rather than the slots which proved the main attraction.

Wayne Dixon is on a grand tour of the UK, hoping to litter pick on every single inch of the coastline.

His quest began in the summer in Knott End.

And now the Clitheroe-based waste warrior has been back, cleaning up the coast from Rossall to Lytham.

It’s a labour of love for Wayne who began his quest a week ago at Rossall and finished up in a not-so sunny St Annes. He said: “It’s something I just decided I want to do, carrying out litter picks around the whole coast.

“I set off from Knott End back in the summer and headed north to Scotland.

“But it’s getting a bit chilly up there so I decided to head south for the winter.

“Where better than Blackpool!”

Child support worker Wayne, accompanied by his Husky dog Koda, joined in a number of organised litter picks during their week-long stay.

And the 44-year-old has been amazed by both the hospitality and the state of the Fylde’s beaches.

He said: “It’s been fantastic.

“We’ve had people putting us up in their own homes in Bispham and St Annes.

“I did a litter pick at Rossall with a new group up there, the Rossall Beach Buddies who were great.

“Then we did one with Cleveleys Beach Care and LoveMyBeach at Cleveleys before moving on to Blackpool where I did one with the Sea Life centre.

“I was also out with the LoveMyBeach group in Lytham, it was nice to meet so many volunteers who care about the sands.”

And in general, experienced rubbish hunter Wayne was impressed with what he saw.

He said: “We collected a few bags here and there and around Blackpool we found a big sheet and some net and a bit of litter on the steps – it was pretty good.

“The biggest problem around Blackpool was cigarette ends but you can see Blackpool Council is on the ball when it comes to the beach.

“That’s great to see.

“There were a few patches away from the front, around the old tram depot in Blackpool, the centre of St Annes and the road from Lytham to Warton.

“One of the worst bits was up in Fleetwood, where the road runs past the golf course – the hedges there were full of rubbish.

“But I got out there and did my bit for a tidy Britain.”

Wayne’s 1,000-plus mile mission will continue through the winter with the tidy champion now heading south for the winter.

He’s leaving the Golden Mile in his considerably cleaner wake and walking towards North Wales.

“I’m determined to do the whole coast, a litter pick on every beach,” he said.

“That’s the idea I had and sometimes you’ve just got to stick with it and get it done.

“When you think of how great our coastline is, you know it’s worth it.”