A SURFER and scientist has started a petition in a bid to protect Bournemouth’s coastline from plastic pollution.

Sam Almond said he has seen so many discarded one-use items on the beach and in the water that he has decided to take steps to tackle the issue.

Now the council has revealed it is working with suppliers in a bid to address the problem.

Sam, a climate change scientist, already has more than 600 signatures on his online petition and hopes others will join him.

The 41-year-old, who lives in Charminster in Bournemouth, told the Daily Echo: “I have been surfing in this area for 20 years and the situation is getting worse and worse.

“There are thousands of discarded items including plastic straws, coffee lids and drinks bottles, particularly after big events.

“Bournemouth council is responsible for many of the beach-side kiosks so my petition is asking them to stop providing so many such items.”

The petition, on a website called 38 Degrees, says: “Bournemouth council needs to stop Bournemouth beach front cafes, kiosks and restaurants providing plastic straws and single use plastic cups to customers. Many of these items invariably end up on the beach and enter the sea.

“Plastic pollution is unnecessary, unsightly and deadly. Plastic pollution is leading to toxic chemicals entering the marine ecosystems, leading to ingested plastics which kill marine wildlife, and will impact the safety of our seafood.”

Sam, who works in Reading, regularly spends his weekends surfing off Bournemouth beach.

He added: “I had more than 600 signatures in just three or four days so there are a lot of people who care about this.”

Noel Oliver, Bournemouth council’s contract and commercial manager, said: “As champions of Bournemouth’s status as a sustainable food city, we are keen to do anything we can to further support the environment, both locally and globally.

“We are looking to demonstrate our commitment through the use of biodegradable packaging across all the council operated catering units on the seafront and are currently working closely with our suppliers to achieve this.

“We will also look at other measures such as providing items such as straws and disposable cup lids on request. We ask that our customers dispose of waste in the appropriate waste bins provided at all our units.”