Burnham-on-Sea MP James Heappey was pleased to see a record turnout at the town’s beach clean on Saturday, just days after Burnham and Highbridge Town Council approved plans to try and gain plastic-free coastline status.
More than two dozen people took to the beach at the weekend to try and gather as much waste as possible along the river banks to the jetty.
The clean was organised by The Friends of Burnham Beach and the town’s new Coastal Community Officer Tanya Cox also attended, in what was the most successful beach clean ever in Burnham.
Mr Heappey said he was pleased to see people so involved and praised the impact the hugely popular Blue Planet 2 series has had on raising awareness of this important issue.
He added: "It was a brilliant turnout. The product of both people being moved by what they saw on TV with Blue Planet but also because earlier this week, Burnham and Highbridge Town Council did exactly the right thing in adopting the motion to try and make this part of Somerset a plastic-free coastline.
“I think people feel motivated and they know that there's too much plastic in the sea and on the beach and there's an element of wanting to do our bit locally. It is great to see people responding to that. "