AN artist is spearheading a campaign to highlight the volume of rubbish that gets washed up at Dorset beauty spots.

Through his artwork, Robin Beuscher has highlighted a real problem taking place at Chapman’s Pool, a small cove on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a World Heritage Site.

The inlet contains evidence of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, and is a rich source of fossil material, as evidenced by The Etches Collection, housed in a Museum just down the coast, in Kimmeridge.

Access to Chapman’s Pool is gained via a twenty minute hike across fields and a hair raising descent over steep inclines to the bay below. Alternatively, the only other route is via the sea in a small boat.

For this reason, it is often deserted at this time of year and is usually quiet during the tourist season.

Robin Beuscher, who lives near to Chapman’s Pool, visits periodically, out of season and finds it an inspiring and dramatic location, which has motivated his latest work.

His new piece, dubbed ‘Floating on the Tears of a Mermaid’ highlights the threat of plastic waste washed up on our shores and in particular, Chapman’s Pool.

Robin said: "Most artists and photographers who come here will endeavour to capture the majesty and atmosphere of this unique place but tend to ignore the very real problem which is rife and the damage which it, and we, are inflicting on our environment."

In just two visits Robin collected enough plastic debris and waste to create his striking sculpture, highlighting the shocking evidence of the amount of waste washed ashore.

"The commonly used name for the plastic granules washed up on the beach is Mermaid's Tears and this prompted me to create this work. Art should be used as a means to communicate a very significant message to us all concerning the pollution of our environment. We need to respond now or the damage will be irreversible.

"It is all very well painting pretty pictures of sunsets over Studland Bay but it is also incredibly naive to ignore the consequences our actions are inflicting on our oceans and coasts as a result of our apathy. The actions we take now, if any, will affect our children and their children in the immediate and foreseeable future."

To view Robin's work visit www.robinsart.co.uk.