DORSET residents have taken to Highcliffe Beach to carry out a litter pick in support of the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean.

The Great British Beach Clean is a week-long citizen science event, where hundreds of beach cleans take place up and down the UK.

Property management company FirstPort invited colleagues and residents from across the country to take part in the event.

Anna Latkowska, a Property Manager for FirstPort, arranged the Highcliffe Beach clean on Friday, September 27.

Anna said: “We had a really successful day at the beach clean in Highcliffe. We have had team members joining as well as residents.

“We found three bags of litter from the beach, including a cushion. But a lot of bottles and plastic wires but mainly a lot of plastic and toys.

“This is our second beach clean at Highcliffe and we have had even more volunteers join this year. We’re really looking forward to doing another beach clean again next year”.

Margaret, a resident from Seward Court in Highcliffe, joined the beach clean with FirstPort and said: “Whilst it’s a well-maintained beach, we found quite a lot of plastic that had been washed up by the recent bad weather that we were able to remove.

“I regularly walk along the beach and to know we did a little to help it retain its beauty is very pleasing.”

In addition to collecting waste, volunteers record the types of rubbish they find across an 100-meter stretch of the beach. The data is then used by Marine Conservation Society to drive important campaigns for ocean protection and positive environmental change.

This year's Great British Beach Clean took place between September 20 and 29, and relied on volunteers to collect and safely dispose of litter washed up on the beaches across Britain.

Clare Trotman, beachwatch officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “The work we do at the Marine Conservation Society simply wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our volunteers, who help gather crucial beach litter data.

"This information is invaluable in shaping scientific understanding and driving the changes needed to protect our precious marine environment.”