Sam Clark of Southampton has become one of the UK's first players to bag all 142 Pokemon

Despite running Cyberjam Gaming, the largest gaming community in Southampton, and being a husband and father of four, Sam Clark managed to catch all the 142 Pokemon and also hatched Tauros, making the total 143.

The game, which involves catching various "animals" by walking around towns and cities, has shot to worldwide fame in recent weeks.

He said: “I pretty much played every hour I could. If I saw Pokemon in the street outside my house in the night I would run outside in socks to chase after it.

''I am not obsessive, I have a full-time job, I have a wife and four kids, it's just fun.

"I didn't do it for the kudos, I reached 100 and thought I would carry on to see if I could get all of them and I put up the video to see if I was the first in the country and it appears I am because no-one else has come forward.''

Due to the PokemonGo App he has walked 140 miles, lost 2 stone and has been able to fit into trousers which he has not been able to get into in 6 years.

In 2008, he was in a severe car crash which broke his neck and took a toll on his health and weight therefore he is very happy with the social and active aspects of the app.

“It is a phenomenon, it has brought so many people together and there is no animosity.”

At 32 years old, Sam has been a dedicated Pokemon fan, playing the game since 2000 and downloaded the PokemonGo app as soon as he could in order to play. Now he hosts events which around Southampton, bringing together around 200 people to play the game.

Mr Clark said that his success had brought him a degree of fame, both good and bad.

He said he had received lots of insults but also been asked to pose for selfies with other Pokemon fans.

He said: ''I have been called some really nasty names, the internet has been it's normal golden tap of love, people have been calling me a virgin, that I've never seen a woman in my life, but my wife and kids will disagree with that.

''It's been all old people, but I have lost two stone getting outside with this game, probably two stone that I have put on sitting inside playing other games.

''Pokemon Go has been so popular, it is a really social game, we had 200 people come along to a meet-up.

"I was in the park earlier and I was mobbed by people, I had like a fan group and I had one girl asking to take a selfie with me.

''I also got a message from a woman who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after seeing a road accident and she said the game had enabled her to get outside and I and my friends suffer from anxiety and helps us get outside.''

Nick Johnson is known to be the first person in the world to catch all the Pokemon, a mere 3 days before.