A DEDICATED member of North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team has beaten his own record to collect £10,000 during 2018 outside a local service station.

Les Agar is a familiar sight with his bucket outside the Whitehouse Services near Okehampton, where he never misses a weekend.

His total for the past year tops £7,000 he raised the year before.

Robbie Taylor, fundraising officer for NDSART, said: ‘Les is a legend. Over the last year, he has been outside the service station every weekend come rain or shine, collecting for us. He is also there all over the Ten Tors weekend, collecting for the team.

‘He’s got a bit of a following you could say. He gets a huge amount of support and the money he raises is so vital. It means we can invest in new equipment and new technologies which enable us to do our job. At the moment, we’re trying to raise £90,000 for a new control vehicle.’

He said Les, who took part in rescues for many years until ill health forced him to retire, was not asking for thanks for what he does.

’He’s a very shy and humble man,’ said Robbie. ‘He’s joined the team back in the 1970s so he’s been in a long long time and is a massive part of the team still.

’The amount he collects each day varies – it might be £100, £300 on another.

‘He just sits there on his little stool with his bucket and it all adds up. It is pure persistence.

‘His attitude is that every 20p counts, every 10p counts, every 5p makes a difference. He feels that if he can’t do his bit out on the hill, this is his way of actively contributing.’