The husband and wife, of Meon Close, paid for their honeymoon flights back from America by collecting litter from the streets of Petersfield.

For three months they took thousands of cans and bottles to a Tesco recycling centre in Havant, before amassing enough green points to pay for British Airways air miles so they could fly home business class.

The story appeared in the Petersfield Post last week, and within days John and Ann found themselves on page three of the Daily Telegraph.

By Monday every major TV network, radio station and newspaper were clambering to interview the pair.

Exhausted Ann said: "I have absolutely no idea why it happened, it has gone totally mental.

"Basically since Monday morning the phone has just been red hot. Last night (Monday) we had three different TV crews setting up in our house.

"We were then whisked away by the BBC to a hotel in London so we could appear early next morning on Breakfast News."

While at BBC Television Centre in London, John and Ann met bestselling author Terry Pratchett ahead of being interviewed by TV anchorman Bill Turnbull.

The pair also appeared on BBC South Today, ITV's News at Ten, BBC Five Live, BBC Radio Solent, BBC Three Counties Radio and on a webfilm for BBC Watchdog.

They even did a telephone interview for ABC News and the Jay Leno Show in the USA.

Ann said they had to turn down requests from Channel 5 news, This Morning with Fern Britton and numerous radio stations because they did not have the time.

"It has been interesting but I would not like it to happen again," she said.

"We have got one more interview with BBC World Service on Thursday and then that should be it.

"But I have to admit it was exciting when we were in make-up at the BBC getting ready to appear on national TV."