Most of us have spotted the odd red rubber band lying on the road as we make our way around Medway.

But 11-year-old Callum Beckett, from Gillingham, has taken things a stage further.

While walking to school one day he picked up 28 of them from just two roads.

Now he picks them up wherever he goes and his collection has passed the 130 mark and continues to grow.

Callum, 11, said: “I feel this is a waste of money because all of the elastic bands could be recycled. If all of the postmen all over the country are throwing the bands on the ground just think how many are being wasted!

“I also feel that they are a hazard to all small animals as they could swallow them or get tangled up in them.”

A spokesman for Royal Mail said the company uses approximately 342 million rubber bands each year.

The spokesman added: “The vast majority are successfully recycled but unfortunately they can have a habit of flying off at times, and it is not always obvious where they have landed, which is why our customers find them.

“We would like to apologise to any customers affected and reassure them we do remind our staff to take extra care to avoid dropping bands. The bands are biodegradable and do rot away naturally .”