THE Angling Trust has launched an anti-litter campaign to enlist anglers help to clean up beaches in West Dorset.

The trust contacted the News about its campaign after reading the story of a Netherbury woman’s horror when her dog got impaled by a fishhook and her subsequent plea to fishermen to take more care.

David Mitchell, who is marine environmental campaigns manager for the trust, said: “The campaign is to get sea anglers to help clean up our beaches and coastline by removing any litter they come across while fishing and is being supported by the Marine Conservation Society.

“West Bay Sea Angling Club are members of the Angling Trust and we will be sending them, and all our clubs in Dorset, Just Take 5 posters so that anglers can help to be seen as the custodians of our beaches rather than the ones leaving litter.

“Litter is an eyesore; it’s bad for the environment and it can be dangerous for both wildlife and people.

“Most responsible sea anglers already take their own litter home, this is about going further and encouraging them, as custodians of our beaches and shorelines, to help remove non-angling related litter as well in order to help maintain the beauty and health of our coast.

“The key to the Just Take 5 message is in its simplicity.

“Anyone and everyone can do it each time they go fishing.

“If every sea angler in the country did this just think of how many millions of items of litter would be removed from our coastline every year.”

Celia Oliver was walking her dog on Burton Beach when her dog Bertie was injured by the fishhook.

She had to enlist the help of a couple fishing on the beach to get the hook out of his nose.

She made a plea to fishermen to make sure they don’t leave hooks and lines lying around before a child was hurt.

She said: “It wasn’t just the hook it was on a long piece of nylon line with a float thing with spiky wire bits sticking out of it. If a child had stepped on it I dread to think what would have happened.

Vice-president of the West Bay Sea Angling Club Maureen Jackson said the club had a very strict code of conduct for members and the problem of discarded tackle was taken very seriously.

She said: “The angling club are very specific with members about not leaving gear lying around and in fact in competitions if anything is left around they are actually disqualified.”

She said it was down to education and the club fully backed any campaigns to help spread the message to clear up.