THE first public Christmas decorations Upper Parkstone has seen in years have also boosted the war on litter.

Baubles on Ashley Road’s Christmas tree have been created from rubbish found on Dorset’s beaches.

The decorations are the first of their kind in the county – and possibly in the whole of Britain.

The five baubles were created by artist Claire Nuttell and students from the Arts University College Bournemouth, using beach litter such as bottle tops, plastic bags, crisp packets and sweet wrappers. The rubbish was collected from Sandbanks and Chesil Beach.

Matilda Bark, coordinator of the Litter Free Coast and Sea Campaign run by Dorset BeachCare, said: “Along the Dorset coast we have some of the cleanest beaches and bathing waters in the country.

“We created the baubles because we wanted to thank beachgoers for helping to keep the beaches clean. It is clear that the majority of people take real pride in our beaches and take their litter home or use the bins where provided.

“However, the beach litter baubles show that some litter is still finding its way to our beaches.”

Richard Wilson, chairman of Ashley Road Traders Association, said the decorations had helped boost the area.

“We are hoping this will be the start of something that will be bigger and better each year and help bring back the ‘lost’ community spirit',” he said.

“We are delighted with the beach litter baubles and very happy to support the campaign. Clean beaches and bathing waters are not only safer, they look nicer and they are great for the local tourism industry and therefore our local economy.”

Dorset BeachCare is also urging people to help the environment by not pouring cooking fat down the sink this Christmas. The fats stick to the sides of sewage pipes and clog drains, causing overflows in heavy rain which lead to sewage and debris flowing into bathing water.

Cooks should pour the fat into a pot and scrape it into a bin when it has solidified.

For other ways to support a litter-free coast, visit dorsetforyou.com/litter-free-coast, or follow the campaign on Facebook (search for “Litter Free Coast and Sea”) or Twitter (@LitterFreeCoast).