VOLUNTEERS helped in a spruce-up of Chesil Beach as part of a campaign to keep the Jurassic coastline clean and tidy.

Representatives from the Environment Agency joined Dorset County Council coastal ranger Jenny Penney to spruce up the beach at West Bexington, near Abbotsbury.

The clean up was part of Litter Free Coast and Sea campaign, which aims to encourage local residents and visitors not to leave rubbish on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

Jenny Penney, who co-ordinated the event, said: “On first appearance the beach looked reasonable clean, until your eyes got accustomed to the tiny pieces of plastic, fishing lines and sweet wrappers.

“The volunteers have done a great job by collecting five full bags of rubbish and two full sacks of recyclable plastic bottles.

“But the biggest problems were items like strip lighting, balloon tags, fishing lines and little pieces of plastic.’’ Litter Free Coast and Sea is a local campaign with an aim to reduce the amount of marine and beach litter. Residents are encouraged to show their support for the campaign by enjoying a lunch on the beach without leaving rubbish behind them.

Dan Prince from the Environment Agency said: “We are supporting the Litter Free Coast and Sea campaign and we hope to encourage others to do their bit.”

For further information on volunteering opportunities contact Matilda Bark on 01305 224833 or Jenny Penney on 01305 228952.