A community litter pick across eight beaches in Dorset was hailed as a "resounding success" despite stormy weather.
The 34th Great Dorset Beach Clean took place on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, where volunteers gathered to clean up the coast.
On Saturday the participants covered beaches in West Bexington, Cogden, Chesil Cove and on Sunday, they cleaned Kimmeridge, Chesil Beach, Charmouth, Hamm Beach and Lyme Regis.
There was also an inland clean at Halstock Village and Corscombe on both days.
Despite challenging weather conditions, the beaches saw more than 200 people rally together to clear marine litter which was believed to have been brought over by recent storms.
The project is organised by Litter Free Dorset as part of their community campaign to reduce litter at source and improve bathing water quality in the county.
Many of the participating groups collect valuable data, which is shared with organisations like the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage. This data helps to inform government policies aimed at reducing litter and protecting marine environments.
Common items found during the clean-up included fishing gear, hard plastics, and nurdles, with some more unusual discoveries such as brooms, a fridge, and the occasional shoe.
The amount of nurdles and microplastic along beaches continues to be prominent issue particularly on Weymouth Beach as local litter picker Brian Hallworth believes there may be more than ever before.
READ MORE: 'Millions' of nurdles and microplastics on Weymouth Beach
Hundreds of kilos of litter was removed from the beaches across the weekend, with 104kg of litter removed in just two hours from Kimmeridge Bay alone.
Kim Ford, one of the volunteers who attended the Kimmeridge clean said: “Me and mum join the beach clean every year at different locations and wherever we go there is always a wonderful sense of community.
"Everyone pulls together to get the job done and we always have such a laugh at the same time. We’ve been going for 10 years now and will be continuing for the next 10 at least!”
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