Wayne's world - a country full of litter

A 7,000 mile litter-picking tour of Britain for one man and his dog has reached its half-way point.
Wayne Dixon and his dog Koda, from Clitheroe, as he makes his way around the coast of Britain litter-picking as he goes.Wayne Dixon and his dog Koda, from Clitheroe, as he makes his way around the coast of Britain litter-picking as he goes.
Wayne Dixon and his dog Koda, from Clitheroe, as he makes his way around the coast of Britain litter-picking as he goes.

Starting and planning to end at Knott End Library, 44-year-old Wayne Dixon has travelled around the coast of Scotland and northern England picking up litter as he goes, as well as raising money for mental health charity MIND and the Northern Inuit Dog Rescue Society.

Along with his four-year-old Northern Inuit dog Koda, Wayne has camped under the stars for most of his trip, which he estimates will take him another year to complete.

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Pit-stopping at his home in Clitheroe before setting off to conquer southern England, Wayne says he has been blown away by the generosity of strangers - and the hoards of litter populating Britain’s coast.

Wayne Dixon, from Clitheroe, as he makes his way around the coast of Britain litter-picking as he goes.Wayne Dixon, from Clitheroe, as he makes his way around the coast of Britain litter-picking as he goes.
Wayne Dixon, from Clitheroe, as he makes his way around the coast of Britain litter-picking as he goes.

“It was really hard going at first and we were maybe only doing 10-15 miles a day,” he said. “We’re not trying to break any records and I was expecting to us to be in our tent most of the time.

“But that’s where the big surprise came, we barely ever needed to because people were so generous in offering us their homes or giving us money for a bed and breakfast.

“The litter-picking definitely made the walking take so much longer because where I’d expect to maybe pick up one or two bags of rubbish a day - I was picking up 11 or 12.”

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And Wayne isn’t just doing his mammoth walking challenge for charity. The walk is also in memory of his dad, John Dixon, an avid rambler in the hills of Lancashire. Their bond was strengthened by walking holidays to Turkey and the walk they said they’d do together, Wayne now does with Koda.

Wayne Dixon and his dog Koda, from Clitheroe, as he makes his way around the coast of Britain litter-picking as he goes.Wayne Dixon and his dog Koda, from Clitheroe, as he makes his way around the coast of Britain litter-picking as he goes.
Wayne Dixon and his dog Koda, from Clitheroe, as he makes his way around the coast of Britain litter-picking as he goes.

So far, Wayne has raised £5,000, but is hoping to raise more when he tackles the south of England next month.

He said: People’s kindness makes me look forward to getting back out there and raising some awareness of Britain’s serious litter problem.”