Butch, aka Barry Stanton, left, with Tony Collins and colleagues

You may not know his name, but you might recognise the smile of this dustman.

Born-and-bred Islander Barry Stanton, or Butch as he is more commonly known, has hung up his gloves after nearly 37 years working for Swale council and its contractors.

The 64-year-old joined Kent Highways in 1976 and 18 years ago changed jobs to work on the dust carts, now run by Biffa.

Since then he has received many compliments on his ever present smile, which he said he was born with.

Butch, of Estuary Road, Sheerness, said: “I’ll miss the blokes, the jokes and mucking about. I won’t miss all the aggro you get from the public.

“Some complain you haven’t put their bin in the right place and you get motorists tooting their horns.

“Sometimes it is the only job you need your birth certificate because you are in their way and they call you all the names under the sun.

“I must say the Island people are the best, they are more sociable.”

Butch explained where his nickname comes from: “When I was little, somebody was calling me a dog and it ended up some old lady called me Butch – and that’s been my nickname ever since.

“I’ve got a couple of aunties that call me Barry but I don’t answer.” The former Sheppey rugby player used to wake up at 4.30am, start work at 6am and complete his round by about 3pm.

He covered Sheerness on Mondays, Minster on Tuesdays, Leysdown on Wednesdays and Sittingbourne and Lower Halstow on Fridays.

A retirement party was held on Friday on his last day.

Tony Collins, business manager at Biffa, Sittingbourne, said he received compliments about Butch almost daily.

“He will certainly be missed by his peers and crew alike; he has a smile and a cheerful manner about him that we would all aspire to.

“He helps in the area by doing paving for the elderly and never asks for anything in return. He loves his rugby and a few pints.”