'Litter-picking Forrest Gump' Luke Douglas-Home in Lowestoft

And Luke Douglas-Home paid another visit to the region as part of his ongoing quest to clean up England's rubbish-strewn beaches, while jogging up and down the country.

The Coastline Runner – environmentalist Luke Douglas-Home - on a recent coastal run. Picture: Courtesy of Luke Douglas-Home (Image: Courtesy of Luke Douglas-Home)

Mr Douglas-Home called in at Lowestoft, visiting a school in the town, as he continued his litter-picking efforts - part of the growing trend of 'plogging'.

Combining jogging with picking up litter, it originated in Scandinavia and comes from merging the Swedish verbs plocka upp (pick up) and jogga (jog).

The Coastline Runner – environmentalist Luke Douglas-Home - logo. Picture: Courtesy of Luke Douglas-Home (Image: Courtesy of Luke Douglas-Home)

The Coastline Runner has covered hundreds of miles between Suffolk and Northumberland, mostly in 13-mile chunks, on average twice a week.

The Coastline Runner – environmentalist Luke Douglas-Home - with mayor of Lowestoft, Nasima Begum, and St Mary's RC Primary School pupils. Picture: Mick Howes (Image: Mick Howes)

On Monday, he took a bag of rubbish he had collected on a recent run from Lowestoft to Southwold to show pupils at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Lowestoft.

The Coastline Runner – environmentalist Luke Douglas-Home - at Lowestoft. Picture: Mick Howes (Image: Mick Howes)

Speaking in the school assembly in the lead-up to World Ocean Day this Saturday, the Coastline Runner explained to children how tiny actions can make a big impact.

"Collecting rubbish and putting it in the bin as I run is a tiny action – something we can all do, and it’s this idea of working together that has an impact," Mr Douglas-Home said.

The Coastline Runner – environmentalist Luke Douglas-Home - with the bagful of rubbish collected, alongside St Mary's RC Primary School pupils and the mayor of Lowestoft, Nasima Begum. Picture: Mick Howes (Image: Mick Howes)

"If people see what I’m doing then realise they can do it too, it’s making an impact."

He showed the children his collection of rubbish, described as the "usual BBBW" - bottles, bags, butts and wrapping/packaging.

The Coastline Runner – environmentalist Luke Douglas-Home - alongside St Mary's RC Primary School pupils and the mayor of Lowestoft, Nasima Begum, on the town's promenade in south Lowestoft. Picture: Mick Howes (Image: Mick Howes)

Mr Douglas-Home was joined at the school on Kirkley Cliff Road by the mayor of Lowestoft, Nasima Begum.

St Mary's RC Primary School pupils on the beach in south Lowestoft. Picture: Mick Howes (Image: Mick Howes)

She added: "Our beaches and coastline is a major attraction for local residents and visitors and Lowestoft Town Council is actively engaging with climate-friendly initiatives as part of our environmental declarations."

St Mary's RC Primary School pupils near the beach in south Lowestoft. Picture: Mick Howes (Image: Mick Howes)

Mr Douglas-Home has credited his running activities with saving his life, after it helped him in his recovery from a riding accident in Romania in 2005 which saw him fracture his neck and suffer a catastrophic brain injury.