Free clear-up has big engagement on social media

Jeremy Vernon, 51, has been clearing weeds and overgrown public paths in Launceston, Cornwall, without charge, earning praise from residents and attention on social media. He says the work helps him stay fit and gives him satisfaction, while making neglected routes safer and easier to use.

A self-employed steel erector, Vernon moved back to Cornwall after having a kidney removed following cancer. He pays for materials and fuel himself, but says he lacks permission to work on the paths, which could affect his public liability insurance. Cornwall Council says volunteers working on its land should register with its contractor Cormac; it recorded 60,000 hours of volunteering on council land last year.