Dave, from Caister, Norfolk, says that his wife and two kids accept his “wacky” hobby that started when he saw a “fascinating” bin styled as a Fab ice cream lolly

A man who has an obsession with rubbish bins has lifted the lid on his unusual hobby.

Dave Clark, 51, says his interest was sparked by a childhood visit to a local tip.

The handyman, nicknamed ‘Dustbin Dave’ by friends, collects photographs of his favourites.

The dad-of-two has now launched a quest to uncover Britain’s best dustbin.

He said: “I’m after the totally unique ones. If it’s unusual then I’ll take a picture.

“If you see a fun bin it makes you smile as you walk past.

“The perfect outdoor bin has a large opening and is medium size – you don’t want it massive.

“It needs to be nice and colorful with a wacky design.

“I’m looking for something that stands out. Nice and bright colours.

“But at the end of the day you can’t beat a classic council bin.”

Dave was seven years old when his dad took him to visit a rubbish dump for the first time.

He was so inspired by the “Aladdin’s Cave” of interesting junk that he wearing a yellow bobble hat and pretending to be a binman.

Dave explained: “I was fascinated by how they picked up the bins.”

Despite his childhood dream Dave has ended up working as a self-employed gardener and window cleaner.

He has photographed dozens of his favorite bins across the UK, which he rates according to size, location and design.

His current favorite is a “fascinating” seaside bin styled as a Fab ice cream lolly in Thrigby, Norfolk.

Dave said: “The Fab bin is still my number one.

“It’s like your first girlfriend – it’s the one you never forget.

“I saw the Fab lolly design four years ago and thought ‘wow, look at that bin, it’s so colourful.’

“I wish there were more bins like that.”

Dave lives in Caister, Norfolk, with his wife and two children, who are understanding of his unlikely hobby.

He is a member of the Commercial Bin Fan Club on Facebook where he shares his passion with other enthusiasts.

Dave said: “If you take the time to look you would be amazed by how many different types of bins you can get.

“It’s about promoting bin awareness and making people take more notice and put their rubbish away.”