'Unsung hero' binman immortalised in pub mural

One of a seaside town's unsung heroes has been immortalised with his own mural on a pub.

Kenny Dunn, 70, has kept the seafront clean at New Brighton in Wirral for the last nine years and the man responsible for the area's regeneration decided it was time to recognise him on the wall of the James Atherton pub.

"It's fantastic, I'm overwhelmed its really special to me and my family as well - they have said I'm a superstar," said Dunn.

"I was hoping it wouldn't look like that Ronaldo statue," he added, in a joke reference to the tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo at Madeira Airport which was mocked by some.

The great grandfather said he had spent 30 years in the building trade and later joined waste company Biffa.

He spoke of the pride he has in his clean-up work.

"I love keeping things clean and when the public tell me I'm doing a good job it gives me a buzz to hear that," he said.

Known locally as someone who is always ready for a chat, he said: "I do quite a lot of chatting - the ratio of chatting to litter picking is probably 50-50 but at least I get it picked up."

Danny Davies chief executive of Rockpoint, the company which is regenerating the town seafront, commissioned London-based mural artist Dotmaster to do the work.

Davies said Kenny's mural is one of several planned to recognise "unsung heroes" locally.

"The public art we have round here is good but we thought it would be good to recognise the people who hold the community together.

"We've immortalised Kenny - he is a real unsung hero."

Davies added: "He's an absolute diamond and many people have come to say so.

"If his bosses at Biffa spent a day with him they would learn a lot."

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