STUDENTS tidying up a 100-metre stretch of Chesil Beach filled 10 sacks with 2,060 pieces of rubbish.

A car bumper, 679 pieces of rope and 213 fishing nets were among the litter collected by the marine ecology and conservation students from Kingston Maurward College, near Dorchester.

The students went to Portland to assist volunteers taking part in the 2009 Great Dorset Beach Clean and logged every piece of rubbish they found.

The students’ data is now being used by the Marine Conservation Society for their national survey of beach littering along Britain’s coastline.

And back at Kingston Maurward the students will use their results as part of their course to draw up plans locally.

They will try to examine their finds to work out how the problem can be combated and reduced.

The students also scooped up five paint rollers, Turkish cleaning fluid, a gas canister and three pieces of pottery.

Dr Laurence Stone, programme leader for the foundation degree in marine ecology and conservation, helped the project.

He said: “There was a huge amount of rubbish – 10 sacks – found along only a tiny stretch of beach.

“And it’s not just the odd bottle here and there.

“Our students are at the forefront of the battle to help the environment because their data will help analyse where this litter comes from and how it can be stopped.”

The Great Dorset Beach Clean organisers asked volunteers to clean up for its 21st year.

They were invited to join up at beaches along the Dorset coast.