Plastic Free Communities in West Somerset led two winter walks and beach cleans at the weekend.

Plastic Free Minehead and Plastic Free Exmoor led a walk along the beach from Minehead to Dunster on Saturday and about 85 people turned up, including many residents, but also volunteers from Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Bristol and Swindon.

Volunteers picked up more than 20 sacks of litter as they made their way along the beach, the shingle ridge and coastal footpath to Dunster Beach. Items included tyres, a welding mask, 20 golf balls, fishing line and nets, items of clothing, dog poo bags and lots of pieces of single use plastic. Among the finds was a large rib cage bone from an unidentified creature.

Dunster Beach Holidays provided a hot drink for all those taking part and helped dispose of any litter that could not be recycled.

On Sunday it was the turn of Watchet. More than 50 residents and other local people, as well as volunteers from Bridgwater and Taunton, went along.

The beach clean and town litter pick covered West Beach, Helwell Bay, Doniford Beach and key areas of the town. More than 15 sacks of litter were collected, among it footballs, waste metal, fishing line and nets, items of clothing and numerous plastic and glass bottles and tin cans. As much as possible was recycled with the remaining waste being disposed of responsibly.

Peter Hoyland, Plastic Free community lead for Exmoor, said: "We would like to thank everyone who came along to support the beach cleans and litter picks. It was wonderful that over 130 people were prepared to give up their time over the weekend in a brilliant community effort that saw us remove large amounts of plastic and other debris from the beautiful West Somerset coastline and from around the wonderful town of Watchet."

To find out more about Plastic Free Communities in West Somerset visit www.facebook.com/plasticfreecommunitieswestsomerset

Plastic Free Communities in West Somerset led two winter walks and beach cleans.

Plastic Free Minehead and Plastic Free Exmoor led a walk along the beach from Minehead to Dunster on Saturday (January 15) and about 85 people turned up, including many residents, but also volunteers from Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Bristol and Swindon.

Volunteers picked up more than 20 sacks of litter as they made their way along the beach, the shingle ridge and coastal footpath to Dunster Beach. Items included tyres, a welding mask, 20 golf balls, fishing line and nets, items of clothing, dog poo bags and lots of pieces of single use plastic. Among the finds was a large rib cage bone from an unidentified creature.

Dunster Beach Holidays provided a hot drink for all those taking part and helped dispose of any litter that could not be recycled.

On Sunday (January 16) it was the turn of Watchet. More than 50 residents and other local people, as well as volunteers from Bridgwater and Taunton, went along.

The beach clean and town litter pick covered West Beach, Helwell Bay, Doniford Beach and key areas of the town. More than 15 sacks of litter were collected, among it footballs, waste metal, fishing line and nets, items of clothing and numerous plastic and glass bottles and tin cans. As much as possible was recycled with the remaining waste being disposed of responsibly.

Peter Hoyland, Plastic Free community lead for Exmoor, said: "We would like to thank everyone who came along to support the beach cleans and litter picks. It was wonderful that over 130 people were prepared to give up their time over the weekend in a brilliant community effort that saw us remove large amounts of plastic and other debris from the beautiful West Somerset coastline and from around the wonderful town of Watchet."

To find out more about Plastic Free Communities in West Somerset visit www.facebook.com/plasticfreecommunitieswestsomerset