An urban explorer from Weymouth is celebrating hitting 100,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Neil Ansell, aged 26, films himself and his friends exploring derelict buildings then shares them online.

His YouTube channel is called Abandoned Explorer and he recently received a special-plaque from the website to mark his milestone.

Since starting the channel last year, Neil has built himself quite a following and says he is the most popular urban explorer from the UK.

He explained: “When I first started there wasn’t many people doing it in the UK, but as soon as one of my videos went viral more and more people have been joining YouTube and doing it. I have the biggest following in the UK for what I do.”

“I have been on YouTube for over a year but have been exploring since I was a young child. I enjoy history and exploring old derelict buildings, so I decided to start filming my adventures.”

Neil’s most popular video was filmed on the outskirts of Devon and has received 15 million views, making it the most-viewed explorer video on YouTube.

In the video, Neil and his friends can be seen exploring the abandoned Mountfield House in Musbury near Axminster.

There is some controversy over Neil’s YouTube channel as urban exploring can become a civil offence of trespass if done without permission.

Neil explained: “There is a mixed reaction to what I do, it is quite controversial. Urban exploring is a civil trespass, so there is nothing police can do, but some people think it’s a criminal offence.

He added: “If a building is derelict you can basically walk in. The only thing is that the owner of the property can take you to court for trespassing, but nine times out of 10 they won’t.

“It does make it exciting. But people watching will look at the footage and realise that I’m not causing any damage. I am just showing people the history of the place.”

Neil has occasionally received permission when exploring some sites and has been invited by landowners to film a video.

Locally, he has explored the ‘Forbidden City’ on Portland, a collection of buildings ranging from Victorian military emplacements to a more recent military training area, and a nuclear bunker on Portland near Fancy's Family Farm.

Neil, who now does YouTube part-time, says he hopes to continue exploring and added: “My goal last year was to get 500 subscribers. I never thought I would get 100,000.”

He is also interested in filming a video about some of Weymouth’s history and is looking for collaborators.

To see Neil’s videos visit www.youtube.com/abandonedexplorer