Army of volunteers clean county's coast

Environmentally-friendly helpers of all ages turned out across the county to take part in the four-day Great British Beach Clean, which ran from Friday, September 14, to Monday, September 17.

Organised beach tidy-ups were staged in communities along the Northumberland coast, with a total of 332 volunteers collecting a whopping 750kg of waste, plus a large amount of scrap metal.

Among those to take part were children from Seahouses Primary School, who thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Equipped with litter-pickers and gloves, the self-named Puffin Force joined staff from the Seahouses-based Coast Care project to tidy local seaside spots.

Year 4 pupil, Rory Thompson, said: “We feel really strongly about keeping our local area litter-free, especially from harmful plastics such as fishing wire and string, so the litter-pick was lots of fun and was also really important.”

Sadie Macfarlane, from Year 6, added: “After learning more about the effects of plastics in the world’s oceans and seas, we just knew we had to take part and try to make a difference.

“I feel really proud of myself and will definitely be looking out for litter whenever I go to the beach in the future.”

Laura Shearer, Coast Care project assistant, said: “It’s wonderful to see local children participating and being part of a national conservation campaign.

“The children were incredibly motivated, enthusiastic and worked hard to help make a real difference to their local area. A big well done to all involved.”

Organised by the Marine Conservation Society, the Great British Beach Clean is the biggest beach tidy and survey in the UK.