Volunteers collected 452 items from a 200m stretch of Ryde beach as part of a clean-up event.

The Great British Beach Clean, an annual initiative, was led by Planet Aware, a local environmental group. The event is part of a week-long effort to clean and protect coastlines across the UK.

This year, more than 460 beach cleans were organised, with thousands of volunteers taking part.

The items collected were logged and will contribute to the Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch programme, which uses the data to inform campaigns for ocean-friendly changes.

In the past, this data has supported the introduction of charges on single-use plastic bags and bans on plastic cotton buds, cutlery, and straws.

The clean-up at Ryde beach revealed that 81 per cent of the items collected were plastic, highlighting the ongoing issue of plastic pollution.

The most common items found were 41 cigarette butts, 81 plastic fragments smaller than 2.5cm, and 52 plastic packets and wrappers.

The major sources of the waste were identified as public litter, fishing-related waste, and sewage-related debris.

The Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch programme continues to play a crucial role in promoting ocean-friendly changes.