Hundreds of volunteers have cleared hundreds of bags of rubbish from our beaches, green spaces and streets.

Over March and April, Dorset residents came together to take part in local litter picking and beach cleaning events, helping to spruce up the local area prior to the summer season.

Litter Free Dorset - Land, Coast and Sea's annual Great Dorset Beach Clean took place between April 2 and 10 with 14 beach cleans - including two at Seatown and Cogden - hosted by local organisations and community groups.

Over 250 volunteers took part in the clean ups, collecting 100 bags of rubbish, including the usual suspects – fishing rope, cigarette butts and plastic bottles – plus some slightly unusual objects including wellie boots, balloons and oil drums.

Alongside the Great Dorset Beach Clean, Keep Britain Tidy's UK-wide Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean initiatives both took place between March 25 and April 10. In Dorset, individuals, community groups, schools and local councils pledged to pick up as much litter as possible.

Over April 1 and 2, Litter Free West Dorset and CUDS Clean Up Dorset Squad also arranged a West Dorset litter pick, supported by Litter Free Dorset and the Preventing Plastic Pollution project. This saw hundreds of residents grab litter pickers and get involved with tidying up their local areas.  

Teams were organised across the West Dorset area and altogether it was estimated more than 150 bags of litter were cleared from West Dorset lanes, as well as significant quantities of larger items.

Sophie Colley, Litter Free Dorset's coordinator, said; "A big thank you to everyone involved in the recent Great Dorset Beach Clean, West Dorset litter pick and Keep Britain Tidy events, plus regular beach clean and litter picking events.

"Everyone's combined efforts to clean up our streets, green spaces and coastline will not only improve how our local areas look and feel but help prevent new materials from entering our waterways and marine environment. All this, while removing materials and degrading plastics that may have been in the local environment and sea for many years."

Now that our sandy (and pebbly) beaches, vast expanses of green spaces and streets are cleaner than ever, Litter Free Dorset are calling for local residents and visitors alike to continue to take their litter home or use the bin when out and about at the coast or in the countryside this summer.

Anyone interested in litter picking and beach cleaning activities, then visit litterfreedorset.co.uk and find a community group near you.