Hastings residents take part in two-mile beach clean up with Surfers Against Sewage

The event was part of the Million Mile Beach Clean, set up by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), which encourages volunteers across the UK to clean up their local area.

Dominic Harvey, a regional representative for SAS, led the clean up which took place along Rock-A-Nore Beach, ending at Goat Ledge in St Leonards.

He said: “[The event] went really well. We started off with around 30-35 people and then more and more joined."

“It just showed how passionate people were about the cause. It was really nice to see the turnout.”

Everyone taking part was given a bin bag at the beginning of the clean up, and by the end, they were all full.

Among the items found littering the seafront were: discarded fishing lines and nets, disposable mugs, water bottles and bottle caps.

Despite the unpleasant conditions, the spirit amongst the litter-picking team was positive and there are now plans to make the clean-up a regular event.

Green Councillor Amanda Jobson, who was in attendance, said: "We found everyday single use drinking bottles and sweet wrappers, takeaway material, tiny fragments of plastic and ghost netting.

"Currently too much of our plastic becomes pollution especially if we carry on at the current trajectory.

“When I spoke to sailors, they said they can smell the pollution and see it in the sea; it not only harms us it affects animal health too, as well as the environment.

“What we cannot shy away from today is the fact plastic pollution now exists in every environment, in our bodies, in our food and in the air we breathe.

"We need a government which will produce a national action plan to end plastic pollution, obviously the pollution we see on our streets and beaches is just the tip of the iceberg.Dominic added that there are many ways residents can help to keep our environment clean.

To keep up to date on the Surfers Against Sewage South East’s work, follow its Instagram: www.instagram.com/sas_southeast/.