'Weird (and not so wonderful)' items found in British Beach Clean-up

The Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean took place from September 20–29, with 5,845 volunteers head out to beaches around the UK and Channel Islands.

They collected 6,048 kilograms of litter – the equivalent weight of 15 adult male polar bears - during the annual event.

Odd litter items photographed at the Great British Beach Clean this year included a mannequin's leg on Downhill beach in County Londonderry (Northern Ireland), toy soldiers at Lytham St Anne's South Promenade (Lancashire), multiple hair extensions on Ingoldmells Beach in Skegness and a vintage Drifter bar wrapper (discontinued in 2019) on Findhorn Beach in Moray (Scotland).

A mannequin's leg was found by Richard Newell at Downhill beach, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland during the Great British Beach Clean in September (Image: Marine Conservation Society) Volunteers for the Marine Conservation Society recorded each of the near quarter of a million (249,823) pieces of rubbish on the charity's survey, which builds a picture of what litter items pollute our seas. The charity then uses this information to inform policy makers.

Beach cleans took place in West Kirby, New Brighton, Wallasey and Thurstaston as part of the 10-day national campaign. 

Among the volunteers who place took part in clean-up at West Kirby Beach on Friday, September 20 (Image: Craig Manning / Newsquest) The Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean programme is one of the largest marine citizen science activities of its kind in the UK.

The membership charity will reveal results in its annual State of Our Beaches report in March 2025, reporting on trends and the most frequently found litter items from the last year.

Clare Trotman, Beachwatch Officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said: "Thanks to thousands of volunteers, we’ll be able to inform policy makers what kind of litter is washing up on our beaches.

Among the volunteers who place took part in clean-up at West Kirby Beach on Friday, September 20 (Image: Craig Manning / Newsquest) "Earlier this year we revealed that there has been an 80% drop in carrier bags washing up on beaches since the charges were introduced – and that’s exactly why we do what we do. We know these kinds of policies work to reduce litter and protect marine life, but we need data to show what’s ending up in our seas.

"Along the way, we do find some interesting pieces of litter! One that keeps puzzling me is how a full-size traffic barricade ended up on a beach in Anglesey. We’ll never know."

Vintage looking Drifter bar wrapper (discontinued in 2019) was found by Catherine Gemmell at Findhorn Beach, Moray, Scotland during the Great British Beach Clean in September (Image: Marine Conservation Society)

This year’s Great British Beach Clean was sponsored by Ireland’s soup brand, Cully & Sully Soup, whose support helped raise awareness of marine litter and protect UK beaches from pollution. The company dished out free soup to all volunteers taking part. 

Cullen Allen, founder of Cully and Sully Soup, said: "The strangest thing I found during this year's Great British Beach Clean was the dog poo bags.

"People went to all the effort to use a bag and then left the bag on the beach which definitely was not a pleasant find.

"A huge thanks to all the great volunteers that keep collecting data on beach litter items so that the Marine Conservation Society can keep working for cleaner and healthier seas."