Cecil the campervan in Cornwall on track for a million miles

Cecil the VW campervan is heading towards clocking a million miles but he is a long way from retiring.

Owner Steve Green, who brought Cecil over to Cornwall from Australia in 1998, still uses the campervan as a daily driver.

Cecil, built in 1972, is also key to the work of Gweek-based Clean Ocean Sailing, hauling tonnes of waste plastic collected from beaches.

And Mr Green said he hoped to keep Cecil going for 100 years.

"In Australia, they call them a Combi, meaning combination, and that's very much what Cecil is. He's a people-carrier for my family, he's a campervan for adventures and holidays, and he is also a crane," he said.

Clean Ocean Sailing has collected more than 70 tonnes of waste since it started in 2017.

Cecil grabs dumpy bags using a home-made crane made of scaffolding poles and takes them by trailer to a recycling plant in Exeter.

Volunteer crews of rubbish collectors travel to the beaches of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly on Mr Green's boat Annie, a traditional sailing boat, which is itself more than 100 years old.

The campervan also has a winch and tow hook in front to haul ghost gear or discarded fishing nets from beaches.

Cecil had been a shuttle bus for airport travellers between Canberra and Sydney before Mr Green bought him for AUD $400 (£208).

"He's approaching 14 times round the clock, which is about 900,000 miles (1.4m km) which, I think, as far as I can find out, is the highest mileage one of these in the world," he said.

Cecil was a serious gas guzzler, so, on arriving in the UK, his engine was swapped for a diesel which runs on waste chip fat oil from locals pubs and cafes.

"It's a two-way relationship," said Mr Green.

"The number of hours fixing Cecil and the number of hours driving him are probably similar.

"He's definitely an expression of my optimism."

He said his view was that keeping an old car was better for the environment because it cut out the carbon footprint of manufacturing a new one.

"He's been going 52 years and I can't see why he can't last another 52," he said.

"We're just going to keep on cutting the rust out and keep him going as he is. Why not?

"The boat's over 100 years old and still working, so let's see if we can keep the old van going for a century."

Christian Schlueter, spokesperson for Volkswagen campervans, said there were a number of other very high mileage campervans and could not confirm a record for Cecil.

But he said Cecil, a "little bit like Mad Max" - the post-apocalyptic film series - was "really impressive".

"And it's not just for joy rides on the weekend, it's for business to save the planet," he said.

And his tips for making your vehicle last longer?

"Actually, it's quite simple," he said. "Think of the van as family member and take care of it when it needs care.

"So, take the car for preventative care, and, if you do so, it will stay for your whole life."

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