A KEEN conservationist will swap wellies for his formal best to meet royalty at the annual Buckingham Palace garden party.

For the last 30 years, Derek Phillips has tended to wildlife and removed rubbish from Hastings Pool, Barnards Green, on a daily basis.

His efforts started when he moved from North Malvern to Pound Bank Road more than three decades ago. "One winter, the pool was completely frozen over, and I could see the moorhens were hungry, so I started to feed them," he said.

"I soon noticed just how much rubbish was thrown about and started to pick it up on a daily basis."

Mr Phillips has seen all sorts dumped at the pool over the years, from everyday rubbish to vacuum cleaners and tumble dryers.

"People seem to regard it as the ideal place to drive up and leave anything they don't want," he said. "Some of it sinks but a lot just stays there and floats around and it looks so unsightly."

He is heading to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, July 10 with his wife Pamela.

"I never expected this. I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "I do it because I love wildlife and hate to see the pool in that state - but it is nice to get some recognition."

Whenever Mr Phillips comes across an item he is unable to move alone, he advises the Malvern Hills Conservators, who come and take care of it.

His work has proved so successful it inspired the Conservators to set up other designated wildlife areas which members of the community keep a watchful eye on.

Conservators director Ian Rowat said Mr Phillips fully deserved his trip to the Palace.

"With 3,000 acres we cannot keep an eye on every single bit all the time, and Mr Phillips' work has been invaluable to us," he said.