BOAT owners are being urged to 'love your harbour' and dispose of waste properly.

Litter Free Coast and Sea, a campaign working to reduce the social, economic and environmental impacts of marine and beach litter, and improve and maintain bathing water quality on the Dorset coast, launched the 'Love Your Harbour' campaign.

The campaign aims to educate boat users on how to dispose of waste properly if they need to go to the toilet while out at sea.

A spokesman for Litter Free Coast and Sea said: "We want to thank all those boaters and sailors who show their love for our harbour and use onshore toilets, install a holding tank, use sewage pump facilities or, if they can't do any of these, wait to flush at least three nautical miles offshore.

"Discharged untreated sewage from a boat in a harbour is extremely damaging and antisocial. It can create all kinds of problems and costs, from water quality to cleaning issues."t