Les Atkinson keeps Banora beautiful

FOR 20 years Les Atkinson has taken a daily walk around his home of Banora Point, picking up garbage from the side of the road to dispose of.

The 86-year-old has become such a recognisable sight that residents helped the Daily News track him down so he could be thanked for his service.

When we caught up with him, Les was embarrassed about the fuss, believing it was no big deal.

"It doesn't take any bother to pick up rubbish and it makes my walk worthwhile," said Les, who immigrated to Australia from the UK in 1993 with his late wife Ruth.

"It's such a beautiful area; it seems a shame people should rubbish it.

"If there's rubbish on the street, people take it as a standard practice that that's where it goes."

He admits to slowing down but has no intentions of giving up his daily 5.5km walk/rubbish collection and, in fact, hopes he goes out with his boots on.

"I'll persevere, especially now my wife's gone.

"It gets me out of the house and it gives me something constructive to do."

He's in good nick, but Les has taken to carrying his driver's licence with him - just in case.

"If I do go like that it would be awkward if I didn't have any identification on me," he explained.

Les said the good news was the amount of rubbish he had to pick up had lessened over the past couple of years.