Pokemon fan catches ‘em all, losing two stone on the way

A POKEMON GO enthusiast is thought to have become the first player in Britain to “catch ‘em all” and lost two stone in the process.

Sam Clark, 32, from Southampton, has walked 140 miles and caught 143 virtual characters. He has collected all of the 142 Pokémon available in the UK – as well as a Tauros, which is available only in the US but he has managed to hatch one from an egg.

The game involves finding virtual characters in real locations.

“The distance I have walked works out to be from Southampton to London and back,” said Mr Clark, who is married with four children.

“It has helped me lose two stone – something I had been struggling with. I broke my neck in a car accident in 2008, which made me pile on weight, but the game has really encouraged me to get outdoors and shift it. I can now get into a pair of jeans I haven’t been able to wear for six years.”

Mr Clark downloaded the game before it was officially available in the UK, giving him a head start. He has reached level 24, using a technique of hunting down specific characters, rather than aiming to level up.

His wife, Hayley, is not such a huge fan, but is happy that he has found an active hobby. He plans to continue playing for fun.

The RNLI has warned people not to go into the water looking for Pokémon after a lifeboat was scrambled when three girls were spotted in rough sea in Hastings, East Sussex, on Wednesday.