A SMALL group of dedicated volunteers hit the beach on Portland for a three-day clean up after the coast was battered by storms.

A huge amount of fishing nets and other assorted debris was thrown up on Chesil Beach after severe weather battered the area in November.

Members of the Clean-Up Chesil Beach Facebook Group and Oliver Rush, from Project Planet on Instagram, worked hard to clear up the mess.

It took three days of digging, cutting, hauling and even climbing over walls to retrieve lost nets, plastic and lots of wood all while observing social distancing.

They found dead birds and dolphins washed up on the beach and also a selection of vegetables for a Sunday roast, shoes and a even a mini digger. Many shark and ray egg cases were also found with one cat shark embryo being released back to the sea by the group.

The group would like to thank Dorset Council for removing the debris they collected.

Sarah Turner who created the group said that she was tired of finding rubbish and wildlife caught up in nets on her local beach. She, along with others in the area, had gone on their daily walks picking up litter and trying to make a difference to help marine wildlife.

She has since organised more weekly walks, encouraging others to help by even spending 10 minutes to help keep Chesil Beach spotless.

If you'd like to be part of this friendly group get in touch with her at s_turner453@hotmsil.com or join the Facebook Group 'Clean Up Chesil Beach' directly.