A MARINE charity says it hopes people who love the coast around Dorset will take part in a nationwide beach clean event, which includes a clean-up at Chesil Beach.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) runs regular beach cleans around the UK, which this year will culminate in the Great British Beach Clean over the weekend of September 19 to 22.

Tom Bell, MCS campaigns manager, says the event hopes to return many of Britain’s beaches to their halcyon days of the 1950s and ’60s.

“Our domestic habits over the last 50 years or so have resulted in dirty beaches. We throw more stuff away than ever. Plastic in the marine environment may take hundreds of years to break down and it washes up or is blown on to beaches in bits from micro pieces to larger chunks,” he said.

He added: “We want to see people turning out to clean up their favourite or local beach during our Great British Beach Clean weekend. Please don’t turn your back on our beaches.” To find out dates and times at individual beaches and to sign up visit mcsuk.org/greatbritishbeachclean