STAFF from M&S Cheshire Oaks got their hands dirty to protect marine life at West Kirby beach.
More than 200 volunteers descended on the beach on Friday, April 26 to take part in Marks & Spencer’s Big Beach Clean-up.
Customers and employees were joined by pupils from Upton-by-Chester High School and Saughall Rotary Club to help free the beach from rubbish in a bid to help protect marine life.
Run in support of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), the clean-up saw 70 bags of rubbish filled, as well as more unusual items collected including a carpet, traffic cone and a pair of underpants.
Hilary Wilkinson, store manager at Marks and Spencer’s Cheshire Oaks store, said: “The M&S West Kirby Big Beach Clean-up was a huge success and it was great to see so many people getting into the spirit of things.
“The clean-up is all about bringing the local community together to help protect marine life and the environment and we are extremely grateful to everyone that took part.”
According to the MCS there are two pieces of litter on every metre of our coastline, most of it plastic.
The harmful impacts of plastic on the UK’s marine life are becoming ever more apparent and the MCS is concerned that plastic pieces are found in the digestive systems of fish including whiting, John Dory and gurnard.
The M&S Big Beach Clean-up is part of M&S’ Forever Fish campaign which is funded by the profits from the 5p carrier bag charge in M&S foodhalls. Since its introduction in 2008, the charge has reduced carrier bag use by 78% and raised over £4 million for charity.
