Museum trustee Michael Leppard may spend most of the year staring at the ground but he is not trying to avoid anyone's eye.

Instead he is keeping a close watch for stray coins.

During 2003 he found a grand total of £87.86, which now goes directly towards the running of East Grinstead Museum.

Mr Leppard started calculating how much money he was picking up back in 1985.

He has raised £974.03 so far and this year hopes to break the £1,000 barrier.

He said: "It is quite a simple idea but works very well.

"I tend to find all sorts of coins and sometimes paper money but the most common are coppers.

"They are small and easily lost and when people see them they are less likely to pick them up because they are not worth much but it all adds up."

The museum, based in East Court, is a registered charity run by volunteers.

It is paid for through donations, occasional grants, the sale of publications and fund-raising events and activities.

The first steps in creating a new home for the museum in a purpose-built building in the town centre get under way this year after the award of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £455,500.

The museum still needs to raise £20,000 to meet the total cost of the project.

Anyone interested in supporting the museum can visit it any Wednesday or Saturday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm.