BEACH-LOVERS from across England and Europe joined in clearing rubbish from Dorset’s beaches as part of a national project.

The Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) annual Beachwatch Big Weekend saw nature lovers gather litter and record their findings to monitor the state of the shoreline after a doubling in beach rubbish in the last 15 years.

Volunteers planned get-togethers along the Jurassic Coast including beach cleans at Durdle Door, Osmington, Studland and in Weymouth at Newton’s Cove and Overcombe.

Kevin Radcliffe, from Wiltshire dive company Dive Zone, helped organise a clean-up at Chesil Cove on Portland as it is one of their favourite dive sites.

Mr Radcliffe was delighted with a turnout of 25 volunteers.

He said: “We thought it was going to be a bit of a blow-out because of the weather but it was a good turnout as Chesil Beach was covered in rubbish.

“You name it and it was probably there.”

Kevin has found a bike at Chesil on previous beach cleans.

He said items were thrown on to the beach from the sea but it was difficult to tell how far they had travelled.

This year there were a surprising number of decorator’s silicone tubes – with five found.

There were 10 odd shoes, plastic bottles, fishing equipment and part of a metal chair.

The food waste picked up included an unopened punnet of peaches.

There were also frisbees, a metre-long rubber buffer from the front of a boat and buoys.

The volunteers logged their findings to pass on to the 'project aware’ project as part of the clean up.

Mr Radcliffe said they were joined by divers who often visit from Birmingham and a fisherman from Holland here on holiday who asked to join in.

He added: “Boat companies and beach users need more education about leaving their litter around.

The beach clean is part of the International Coastal Cleanup covering 80 countries worldwide and the data helps the MCS warn the Government about marine wildlife accidentally eating and getting tangled up in litter – three birds were found at Chesil Cove.

The society says the rubbish is also hazardous to people with last year’s clean revealing a rise in the amount of bathroom rubbish with people using their toilets to flush away cotton buds, condoms and sanitary towels.

The society’s last report stated the amount of sewage related debris ending up on shores shot up by 40 per cent.

At Worbarrow Bay, 46 people volunteered to help with the beach clean and collected more than 180kg of litter.

Volunteer marine wardens from Dorset Wildlife Trust co-ordinated the clean-up.

Among the items found was the remains of an old weather balloon.