PEOPLE are being sought to help clean Dorset’s beaches this weekend.

South West Conservatives are hosting their Big Beach Clean on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, events will take place at Holes Bay at 10am and in Bournemouth at 2.30pm.

Then on Sunday, Swanage will be cleaned from 2.30pm

Beach cleans will also take place in Weymouth and West Bay during the weekend.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “The South West has some of the most beautiful beaches anywhere and it’s vital we protect them for future generations and ensure our great coastline and wildlife are not damaged by plastic waste and other litter."

Chris Loder, chairman of Dorset Conservatives, who is co-ordinating the beach cleans in Dorset, said: “Our oceans are becoming a plastic soup. Seabirds and creatures mistake it for food and it ends up in our food chain.”

Bags, gloves and litter-pickers will be provided in some locations, but people are encouraged to bring their own where possible.