IT'S BEING billed as their biggest beach clean ever.

And now the Marine Conservation Society is appealing for volunteers to take part in the 2019 Great British Beach Clean event from September 20 to 23.

Last year,15,000 volunteers took part, double the number in 2017 and they removed an incredible 8,550 kilos of litter from beaches around the UK.

However, it's not all about removing litter from beaches, says the MCS.

"Volunteer cleaners become citizen scientists as they also record the litter they find along a designated 100m stretch of every beach that’s cleaned, and it’s this aspect that has helped MCS change policy and behaviours over the last 25 years," said a spokesman. Last year, 600 items of litter were found every 100 metres.

Nearly 500 beaches were cleaned during 2018 and the organisers are hoping to top that next month.

MCS Beachwatch Officer Lizzie Prior, said: “Taking part in the Great British Beach Clean really can make a difference. In previous years when we’ve highlighted increases in dog poo bags and sewage related debris found on beaches, we’ve seen drops in numbers subsequently.

"Due to the massive increase in wet wipes we found between 2013 and 2015, we were able to launch our ‘Wet Wipes Turn Nasty’ campaign which has resulted in improvements in labelling, removal of plastic from 'flushable' wet wipes in retailers’ own brands, and helped introduce the ‘Fine to Flush’ logo – a water industry standard.”

She said the 5p carrier bag charge, a ban on microbeads in wash-off products, consultations on a plastic tax, commitments to deposit return schemes, reduction in the use of plastic straws and the banning of lantern and balloon releases – all have come about following compelling evidence gathered over decades by volunteers at MCS beach cleans. "Since 2011, when the 5p single-use carrier bag charge was first introduced, there’s been a decrease of almost 50 per cent in plastic bags found on UK beaches."

Three beach cleans are taking place in this area - at Hengistbury Head on Friday September 20, at Bournemouth Chines on Sunday September 22 and at Ham Common in Poole on the same day.

*For details on how to sign up contact mcsuk.org/greatbritishbeachclean