Record-breaking tidy up bid for Brighton and Hove beaches (From The Argus)

Record-breaking tidy up bid for Brighton and Hove beaches

9:20am Friday 29th June 2012 in News

The Argus Take It Home campaign

The Argus is teaming up with Ben Fogle to help keep the city’s beaches clean.

The TV star is an ambassador for Barefoot Wine’s Beach Rescue Project, which aims to keep shores barefoot friendly.

Organisers have teamed up with the Argus’s Take It Home campaign and are hoping as many residents as possible go along to help volunteers from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) clear the beach.

The Paddle Round the Pier event is looking for 500 people to take part in the UK’s biggest ever clean up.

SAS volunteers will be tasked with removing ten items of marine litter each - potentially removing 5,000 items of harmful rubbish from Brighton’s coast through the event.

Those willing to help should meet under the SAS flags on the western side of Brighton Pier at 2pm on Saturday, July 7.

Blue Flag

SAS beach clean officer Dom Ferris said: “The chance to set the UK record for the biggest ever beach clean is extremely exciting.

“The SAS Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project gives the UK’s coastal communities an opportunity to make a real and noticeable difference to the health of our precious coastline.

“With the help of 500 people at Brighton we’ll do that in style.”

Volunteers can end the day with a celebratory glass of Barefoot Wine.

Hove Lawns beach was awarded a Blue Flag for its high standards of water quality.

But in May it was left in a filthy state after fine weather saw thousands of people descend on it to enjoy the sunshine but leave their litter behind.

Our Take It Home campaign is calling on beach users to take their rubbish with them and leave the beach as they would wish to find it.

Mr Fogle said: “We have such beautiful beaches here in the UK. I’m asking as many people as possible to come down to Brighton and keep their local beach barefoot friendly.”

Editor's note: This article was amended on Monday, July 2 to remove the reference to Mr Fogle attending the Hove beach clear-up.