A MILKMAN who goes the extra mile for his community is this week’s local hero.

Jim Marsh does more than just deliver milk. In more than a decade driving the milk cart he has helped customers change light bulbs, put their bins out, posted letters and even done their shopping.

The 62-year-old, from Burgess Hill, also takes time to talk to his customers each week as he goes on his round and has even come to the rescue when they have had a fall.

Mr Marsh’s Dairy Crest franchise milk round covers North Chailey and Newick as he leaves home at 1.30am, delivers his first pint at 2.30am and is not home until 1pm.

He said: “I suppose it is just one of those things – whenever I do something I try to put 100% into it.

“I have been on the same round for about ten or 12 years and I am like a mobile shop.

“People know if they leave a note out for something and I have it on board I will get it to them straight away – that is how I built the business up so I must be doing something right.”

Mr Marsh even makes sure his milk delivery gets through in heavy snow as he parks up his milk float on a main road and stacks a sledge full of his deliveries.

He said: “Someone said they had no post, newspapers or anything but they still got their milk through. People remember that.”

Some customers even leave their back doors open so he can put their milk in the fridge for them.

Mr Marsh has also raised £28,500 for Beacon View Wellbeing Hospice, has run two London Marathons and took part in the first Brighton Marathon, raising tens of thousands of pounds.

He was nominated to be an Olympic Torch bearer and his business was named Dairy Crest franchise of the year in 2013.

HUNDREDS of heroes go almost unnoticed in our local communities.

But The Argus is determined to give them the recognition they thoroughly deserve.

We have teamed up with housing repair and maintenance company Mears for our weekly Local Hero Awards.

We are inviting readers to nominate their candidates and tell us why they have put them forward for the award.

Contact Ben Leo on 01273 544682 or email ben.leo@theargus.co.uk