A man setting out on a 5,000-mile round-Britain run has hailed Norfolk's "plastic free" sands.

Luke Douglas-Home, aka The Coastline Runner, completed the first stretch of his year-long challenge from Great Yarmouth to Hemsby on Monday.

The 50-year-old was cheered on by borough mayor Adrian Thompson and county and borough councillor James Bensly who has a keen interest in climate issues.

He said: “Yarmouth’s mayor cheering me on was a real lift." Adding that he was further motivated to hear Mr Thompson felt “energised” by his undertaking.

At the end of the first stretch at Hemsby he had collected only a few items of shoreline plastic waste.

“It was brilliant and jaw-droppingly plastic free, the Norfolk coast from Yarmouth is amazing," he said.

His aim is to collect plastic waste, analyse hotspots, and ensure his mission records and logs carbon emissions while uncovering the most local and effective offsetting initiatives, so that his mission is climate positive.

A Just Giving page has been set up to meet some of the costs of the journey.