AROUND 120 bin bags were filled up with rubbish by clean-up volunteers who also found abandoned bikes, mattresses and rubble.

The Portland Community Partnership (PCP) organised other groups, prison workers and housing association representatives to get involved tidying up the island and a total of 60 people turned up to pick up litter on Saturday.

They split into groups and cleared up across the island at sites including High Angle Battery, Cheyne Weares and in Castletown at Black Barge.

And afterwards Andy Matthews, chairman of PCP, called for people to take more care to keep the island clear of rubbish.

He said: “It’s good to see everybody out being so committed to doing something for the island.

“It’s just a shame that we were picking up so many everyday things.

“If people showed a little bit more care we wouldn’t have so many plastic shopping bags and take away packets around.”

Portland Gas, Synergy Housing and the Revive Portland and Island Play community groups were among the organisations supporting the clean-up.

In the “ghost tunnels” around the High Angle Battery a number of aerosol cans were found amongst broken glass and other rubbish.

Tourists there stopped the litter pickers to ask them about the history of the site and PCP secretary Yvonne Beven said that shows why people should refrain from leaving such a mess.

She said: “Tourists said how nice the area is and how much nicer it could be without so much rubbish lying around.”

The litter pickers found pieces of tents, tyres, nappies and one dog walker even threw their dog waste bag into one of the volunteer’s bags.

Ms Beven added: “We found lots of broken glass around the High Angle Battery where it seemed people had been there for picnics and parties and smashed bottles and had left it there.

“There’s been an awful lot of fly-tipping and builders rubbish has been dumped there.

“It’s unbelievable.”

Among the families helping out were Sue Ashe with her six-year-old son Solomon and his granddad Kevin.

Mrs Ashe said it was disappointing how much rubbish had clearly been left at the beach at Black Barge at Castletown as opposed to being washed up there.

The 45-year-old, from St Martin’s Road, Portland, said: “We found lots of clothes including lots of socks, pants and t-shirts as well as cans so it was rubbish people had left there.

“It’s more disappointing but there are not many bins around here.”

Coastal ranger Lyn Cooch picked up the bags and larger items in her 4x4.

She said: “Portland is such a wonderful natural environment and sometimes the litter can detract from that.

“So after we’ve got rid of the litter I hope people will appreciate the island.”