THE FIRST ever Marks & Spencer beach clean, which was organised by the Marine Conservation Society, has been declared a success.
On Saturday, there was a great turnout for the event on Douglas seafront, as more than 60 volunteers went to the beach kitted out with their litter pickers and gloves.
A total of 17 bags were collected, equating to 111.5kg of rubbish.
A variety of items were collected on the beach, some of the most unusual items found included a car wheel trim, a scooter wheel and even a bra.
Douglas beach clean was one of over 100 beaches and canals in the Isle of Man and UK that took part in the beach clean.
The M&S Big Beach clean-up is part of Forever Fish, M&S’ campaign to help customers and their children learn more about fish, clean British beaches and protect marine life.
It is funded by the 5p carrier bag charge in M&S foodhalls.
Since its introduction in 2008, the charge has reduced carrier bag use by 80 per cent and raised over £4 million for charity.
Samantha Fanshawe, MCS chief executive, said: ‘The Marine Conservation Society is really grateful to the thousands of volunteers and M&S staff that supported the Big Beach Clean-ups around the UK.
‘It highlights the public’s concern about the unacceptable amounts of litter on our beaches and their support has made a real difference. The litter collected will no longer pose a threat to wildlife, and the information gathered will be used by MCS to identify the most common items and how we can stop litter at source.’