FORMER binman Steve Jones from the Isle of Wight always has a rubbish holiday - because he travels all over the country to watch dustcarts in action.

Every year he goes to a different part of Britain, tracks down the local waste tip and offers to work on the bins for free.

Steve's passion for rubbish has taken him as far afield as the Lake District, South Wales, Cornwall, Lancashire, Kent, Sussex and even the Isles of Scilly.

Every summer for 17 years he took a holiday on the Island and packed overalls so he could join in with dustmen there for fun.

Steve's love of the Island's refuse rounds eventually persuaded him to move there from west London.

Now he is lovingly restoring two rare 1980s Shelvoke and Drewry dustcarts so he can drive them in his spare time.

Steve, 40, now a self-employed gardener, said: "People think I have a strange hobby but nothing comes close to the thrill of riding in a dustcart.

"It's wonderful watching them in action. Even if I can't join in I love seeing them crush the waste and dump it at the tip."

Steve's fascination began when he was a child and spent school holidays following them round west London on his bicycle.

As a teenager he started taking a set of orange overalls on holiday to Shanklin, Isle of Wight, so he could help the local binmen. Even when Steve finally landed his dream job as a dustman in 1987 he spent his holidays dealing in rubbish as well.

But after four years emptying bins in Feltham and Brentford he became disillusioned that others didn't share his passion.

He returned to his work as a groundsman but dedicated every second of his spare time to watching the art of refuse collection.

He added: "I plan my holidays around rubbish and I never go anywhere without checking out the local refuse tip and seeing which dustcarts are working.''

Bachelor Steve is restoring his two dustcarts in an old barn near his home in Lake.

Steve said: "They are probably the only surviving ones of their type and I'm getting them into tip-top condition.

"Then I shall drive them round the Island occasionally and may show them, but I shall try to resist the temptation to start emptying people's bins.

"My dream is to win the lottery and buy a Dennis Elite dustcart, which would cost more than £100,000."

Phil Webb, a supervisor for Island Waste Services, said Steve was well known among dustcart crews on the Isle of Wight.

He said: "Everyone has known him for years as he used to come and join in the rounds wearing orange overalls - our lads wear green.

"They thought it was a little odd but were glad of the help."