A TEENAGE boy who was rescued after stealing a boat has celebrated his birthday as he nears completion of a sponsored walk around the UK to make amends.

Seb Green has spent almost a year walking more than 3,000 miles around the UK with his border collie Flash.

He has so far raised more than £14,000 for two Westcountry charities in a bid to pay back the local community for his behaviour four years ago.

Seb was 15 when he and another teenager stole a rigid inflatable boat from Weymouth harbour in May 2004.

The pair became stranded in mud in nearby Fleet Lagoon and a massive air and land search was launched.

Both teenagers began shouting for help and Seb got out of the boat to walk to safety but became stuck up to his waist in mud.

A passer-by heard their screams and called for help. The Coastguard helicopter, Dorset Police helicopter, two Coastguard land-based teams and two RNLI lifeboats were then launched to look for the missing teenagers.

They were plucked to safety by the Coastguard helicopter half an hour later at around midnight.

Seb, from Weymouth, celebrated his 19th birthday in Plymouth yesterday with a day off walking.

He said: "It was a very stupid thing to do. At the time, I felt extremely guilty but as time has moved on, the sense of guilt has faded because I am now planning to repay the community for the money I wasted and repay some of the money it cost to rescue me."

The trek has not been without problems – Seb has a recurring knee injury and Flash was hurt jumping over a barbed-wire fence.

"My attitude towards life has changed," said Seb.

"I see life as a privilege and you only get out what you put in, but you can achieve whatever you want."

He hopes to raise £20,000 for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and Starlight Children's Foundation, a charity which grants the wishes of seriously and terminally ill children and provides hospital entertainment.

Seb, a member of the Territorial Army, slept under the stars in his tent for most of the trip and some people en route donated their spare rooms.

He and his three-year-old dog set off from Preston, Dorset, on February 1.

They walked to Dover in Kent and along the Thames estuary, before heading up to Scotland, taking in John O'Groats, before coming back south walking through Wales, The Lizard in Cornwall and Land's End.

Seb, who plans to study biology and English A-levels before joining the Royal Marines, aims to be back in Dorset on December 14, in time for Christmas.