Members of the Helford Voluntary Marine Conservation Area Group welcomed supporters when they turned up at Prisk Cove, near Mawnan Smith, to carry out a clean-up of the beach alongside the Helford River.

The clean-up was part of the annual beachwatch 2002 litter campaign and survey organised by the Marine Conservation Society.

It was designed as a fun day out on the Helford and all those taking part managed to fill bags of rubbish taken from the beach and stack them ready for proper disposal.

Ruth Williams, education ranger for the Helford YMCA, said: "Cornwall's beaches are one of our most beautiful natural resources, enjoyed by millions of people each year. However, for a variety of reasons, they often end up as collection points for litter of all shapes and sizes - an unsightly nuisance for us and a deadly hazard to the natural inhabitants."

Events such as the clean-up gave the volunteers a chance to do something about the problem on a local level and also stop littering of the oceans.