LOCAL businessman Barry Watson has been hailed as "King Bazza" by the world's media – more than a year after the Review first carried his story.

The Chepstow-based social media entrepreneur caught the attention of national and international news organisations with the story of Help the Village campaign in India.

Back in February last year the Review first reported on Barry's mission to help the Yanadi people in a remote part of India by building a village and the paper and its sister publication The Chepstow and Caldicot News has carried regular updates since then.

Barry has featured in several national newspapers over the last week and on Monday gave an interview to a Spanish radio station which broadcasts to half a million ex-pats in the Costas.

He was dubbed King Bazza after telling the story of how he built the village for the Yanadi people who had previously eked out an existence on a rubbish dump.

He explained: "It started with Lyn Walby from the Conservative Club (in Chepstow) who asked me do a talk for some of her ladies.

"I was happy to spread the message and they gave me £75 which was lovely.

"Then the press were told about it and it just went from there.

"People know I'm a bit of a show-off so it's been good fun but it will also raise awareness of the work we're doing out there.

Barry, his wife Shirley and sons Luke and Zak – who are well known as players at Chepstow RFC – visited the village, called Barypuram at the end of last year.

His customized motorised rickshaw or tuc-tuc has become quite a feature around the area and he plans the first-ever Land's End to John O'Groats run in one of the machines.

He said: "It's designed for a 4ft 8in Thai gentleman so fitting a 5ft 8in European into it is quite a challenge.

"We'll be coming through the Forest and staying overnight in Chepstow during the run."

Barry is also looking for people to join him on his next visit to India at the end of this year – and for a benefactor.

He said: "We need £5,000 to buy another piece of land so if there are benefactors out there...

"When the Review ran our story we had an immediate donation of £100 from somebody who said they liked what we were doing."