Stockport-based accountancy firm HURST has cleared 64 kilograms of discarded waste at West Kirby Beach, the Wirral. 

68 staff from the business took part in the clean-up as part of a 'team-building exercise'. 

The group picked up more than 1,000 pieces of litter - around 50 per cent of it was plastic or polystyrene in origin. 

The clean-up was organised jointly with the Marine Conservation Society.

Robyn Vandesande, a member of HURST's people and planet team, helped to arrange the clean-up.

"I have a keen interest in conservation and sea life", she said. "After reading about the work of the Marine Conservation Society and the activities involved in the beach clean-up days, it seemed a great opportunity to combine some hands-on involvement to support its work whilst at the same time being a useful and memorable team-building exercise.

"Improving the planet's health, and finding ways to slow down global warming and its effects, must begin with the individual. It was great to get the opportunity to weave this into our working lives.

"West Kirby beach is known for being very clean, so given the amount of litter we collected really makes you think how bad dirtier beaches must be and the state they would be in if groups such as the Marine Conservation Society weren't dedicating their time to clean-ups, data collection and awareness projects."

Clare Trotman, Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch Officer, said: "We are so grateful to HURST for undertaking such a thorough clean of West Kirby beach and for surveying the litter they found.

"Not only have they safely stopped harmful litter from entering the Irish Sea, but their survey results will also help us to understand what types of litter are being found on the Wirral coast and give us an idea of where this is coming from."

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