MORE than 50 volunteers turned up on Portland as part of a nationwide beach clean up campaign.

Working together with SAS, World Animal Protection and the Crown Estate, volunteers hauled a skip full of rubbish from Chesil Beach last weekend.

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) organised the event as part of its Autumn Beach Cleanup Series, designed to highlight and tackle a marine litter crisis.

The Portland event was led by voluntary group Chesil Beach Watch. Izzy Imset, who runs the group, said the event went incredibly well.

He said: “We had just over 50 volunteers turn up during the day which is higher than what we expected at relatively short notice. It was one of the biggest events in the country.

“The clean-up didn’t just stop on Sunday. They continued on Monday.”

Trainers and flip flops were just some of the items picked up on Sunday. Eight full bags of fishing gear were also collected.

Mr Imset said residents of Weymouth and Portland were playing a major role in keeping the beach clean.

He said: “It’s not just us doing it. It’s the community doing it. Pollution is an ongoing issue in Chesil and there’s no way by ourselves we could deal with it.”

Mayor of Portland Rob Hughes and Cllr Sandy West, who represents the Underhill ward for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, were among those who volunteered on Sunday. He said: “We had a great time. In a couple of hours the beach was pristine again. I think we had the best turnout in the country.

“Everyone complains about plastic bags but plastic bottles are a bigger offender.”

Cllr West said: “I thought it was a great day. It also gave us a chance to see how the beach looked before and after the storms and how it all coped. It’s interesting to see the debris. It shows commitment to keeping the beach clean.

“It was also good seeing so many families doing it and having kids down there. They’re going to be the future.”