A homeless man, who has set about turning his life around following struggles with drugs and mental health, is hoping his Isle of Wight beach sculptures will inspire others.

On the sands at Bembridge, Ben Johnson, 28, has been digging up blue slipper clay and then moulding it into a variety of clever creations.

From a mythical mermaid to an octopus and a lion, his sculptures have been wowing social media users.

Ben, and his dog, Milo, have been taking part in a UK-wide walk to raise money for three charities.

With just three packs of noodles, cup a soups and dog food, they set off from North Wales in January.

Ben was initially just going to walk the Welsh coast but decided to carry on and, around 2,200 miles later, ended up on the Island.

Here's how to donate to Ben's charity walk 

To donate to Ben's charity walk, click on one of the following links: Royal British Legion, The Trussell Trust and Dementia UK.

To donate to help support Ben and Milo with food and supplies, click HERE.

Speaking to the County Press, he said: "I love the Island. It's the only place I feel settled and comfortable and I can stop a bit."

After finding out Milo had testicular cancer, Ben made the decision to stay here as he recovers from an operation.

While staying at Forelands Campsite, he has been popping down to the beach near Bembridge RNLI and making his unique sculptures.

They can be made in just three hours, but some can take up to nine hours — as was the case with Leo the lion.

Ben's octopus creationBen's octopus creation (Image: Ben Johnson)

(Image: Ben Johnson)

"It's how I express myself and it helps massively with my mental health", he said.

"I can just lose myself in that."

Ben, who is completely self-taught, said he wants to use his creations as a stepping stone to help others tackle mental health issues.

"I want to get the message across to as many people as I can and set up a charity on the Island for mental health and doing stuff more in touch with nature", he said.

Once Milo is recovered, he aims to continue the walk and use the Island as a base.

As for his beach creations, next up on the list is a footprint, with the idea of "leaving an impression on people whether you go".

"It's so rewarding for me when I walk down the beach because more or less there's always someone looking at them or having photos with them", he said.