BEACH cleaners hit the pebbles this morning with a message for residents.

Dozens joined endurance swimmer and ocean advocate Lewis Pugh on Brighton seafront for a morning of removing pens, plastic and nitrogen canisters.

Lewis, 48, stopped off in the city on day 37 and 38 of his 350-mile mission, the Long Swim, in which he is swimming the English Channel wearing just a pair of Speedo trunks, goggles and a swimming cap.

During the 50-day challenge, he is aiming to raise awareness of the impact of plastics and commercial overfishing on the health of UK waters and oceans.

Lewis, who is the United Nations’ Patron of the Oceans, had this message for residents: “Brighton is a very special part of the UK.

“Every single action we take has a consequence. Just be more conscious of the impact we are having on our oceans.

“We have done autopsies on seals, whales and dolphins and we are now finding balloons in them.

“There is nothing more gut-wrenching than seeing an animal with a plastic balloon around its neck.

“This is a problem which has been caused by us, so we can fix it.”

Lewis does not shy away from a challenge – in 2007 he swam across the North Pole to raise awareness of the melting of Arctic sea ice.

Yesterday he gave a public lecture on ocean health at the Jury’s Inn Waterfront hotel in Kings Road.

Lewis, originally from Plymouth, is calling on the Government to take action to protect the waters that surround the country.

He claims just seven square km out of a total of 750,000 square km are fully protected.

Lewis wants the Government to introduce marine protected areas, which restrict human activity to protect the sealife.

His campaign has resonated across the country and he has received national media attention for his efforts.

Hanover resident Michelle Johnson, 46, was out litter picking with her eight-year-old daughter Emily and friends.

They have been following Lewis’s swim as they are also from Plymouth.

Michelle said: “We love a beach clean.

“We take pride in our beach and our sea and conserving our wildlife.

“We found so much rubbish and all of it was party stuff like nitrogen canisters.

“We like a party but take your rubbish home.”