Like a modern-day Womble, he’s making good use of things that he finds – the things that everyday folk leave behind.

Day by day on a beach by the Firth of Clyde, resourceful pensioner Neil Hughes is fighting a battle against plastic pollution and fly-tipping by gathering washed-up refuse and things dumped by the careless to fortify his little hut. 

The building has been in his family for almost 100 years, and has weathered wind, waves and rain time and time again, with any damage repaired first by Mr Hughes father George, who built the hut, and now by himself.   

All the materials come from the beach itself, with the Hughes family practicing recycling long before it became fashionable.

Mr Hughes, 74, spent his childhood holidays in the beach hut near Gourock, Inverclyde, and still enjoys using it decades later.

Perched on Lunderston Bay, the beach hut has been in his family for 85 years and is the focal point for a popular day out with the fourth generation of his family. 

But when he’s not hosting barbecues with his nine grandchildren beachcomber Mr Hughes spends his time cleaning the area and putting any rubbish to good use.

Just like the fictional Wombles who roamed Wimbledon Common in the 1970s looking for junk, Mr Hughes scours the beach for discarded items he can reuse to heat and cook in the little outbuilding. 

He dries out bits of driftwood to put in the Rayburn cooker, and is using scrap metal left by an unscrupulous builder to repair a seawall which protects the hut from the elements. 

His efforts also stretch to removing bits of glass and plastic from the beach which simply blight the landscape, disposing of them so it does not harm marine life.

However, the father-of-three, from Inverkip, said the problem with littering has become much worse in recent years. 

He said: “We have had this beach hut for 85 years. When my father died I took over the hut and I’m down there most days.

“I always make sure that I pick up litter – there’s a lot of it washed ashore, from off boats, things like plastic bottles and timber. 

“If it’s wood I use it to heat the hut, for the fire. If it’s plastic, I put it in my own bin. There’s some good timber washed up off boats so I’ll dry it out and use it for fuel."

Mr Hughes built a seawall but a bad storm a few months ago damaged it. He is now busy putting up a new one, using metal cages and bits of scaffolding.

Neil added: “The stuff at the hut will be used to repair the breakwater.

“On the missives, it tells you that you can make the hut watertight to protect it from the elements.

“My son is helping me and once the breakwater is built I will fill it with boulders from the beach.

“I’ve got an area where I dry timber so I can use it for fuel. It is really just recycling.”

A former shipyard worker, he is used to getting his hands dirty and putting in a day’s hard work to get the job done, and is pleased to be doing something to protect the environment. And the little hut is proving a hit with the youngest members of his family, suggesting it will be a long time yet before it loses its battle with the sea. 

Mr Hughes’s wife Mary also enjoys going to the peaceful coastal beauty spot, and their grandchildren love having barbecues at the hut.

However, it cannot be used for overnight stays due to not having sanitation.
Mr Hughes added: “When my grandchildren visit, they don’t want to go home. We’ve got to drag them off the beach – they love the fires, and people passing by.

“It’s amazing – people of all nationalities that walk by. People are always telling me it looks lovely.

“They are amazed at how clean and tidy it is. If there’s stuff on the beach, I use it or dispose of it.

“I’m there winter and summer, making sure the place is secure and left spotlessly tidy.”