VOLUNTEERS will take to the beaches of north Essex once again this week as part of a nationwide drive to clean-up the coastline.

The Great British Beach Clean is a week-long event which sees hundreds of beach cleans take place up and down the country.

It started on September 16 with local litter picking group the Frinton Frombles tidying up the Frinton coastline.

During the litter-pick volunteers walked down to the beach, filling bags with recyclable items. 

They also collected rubbish from the Greensward, Esplanade and Promenade areas, where a lot of the rubbish which ends up in the sea originates from.

The next beach clean event in the area will take place on September 21 and will see Walton’s litter picking group, the Walton Wally’s, join forces with Anglian Water.

Molly Tucker, coastal catchment manager from Anglian Water said: “The Anglian Water region has the longest stretch of coastline than any other water company and we know how important these spaces are for the economy and the local communities that surround them. 

“This is why we’re proud to run schemes like BeachCare which is our volunteering programme to keep beaches clear of litter and why we’re continuing to support regular events such as the Great British Beach Clean.”

Volunteers from Anglia Water’s Love To Help group and Keep Britain Tidy's BeachCare group are taking part to help keep local beaches and rivers free from litter.

Much like the volunteers they are set to help in Walton, they do this by carrying out litter picking events, restoring rivers, removing invasive species and surveying certain species.

Lynsey Stafford, RiverCare and BeachCare manager for Keep Britain Tidy, said: “We are delighted so many RiverCare and BeachCare groups are heading out to litter pick for the Great British Beach Clean.  

"Volunteers' combined efforts have a powerful impact on marine plastic pollution which can do so much harm to our global environment."  

For more informaiton or to take part gov visit mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do.