Over 1,500 pieces of litter were collected at a beach by volunteers in one single day.

UK Power Networks' volunteers and the Sussex Wildlife Trust took part in a litter pick this month at Ovingdean beach and managed to fill eight bags of rubbish.

The litter, which weighed around the same as an eight-year-old child, was made up of nearly 1,600 items.

UK Power Networks said 75 per cent of this was plastic or polystyrene including bags, bottles, lids, cups, cigarette ends and snared fishing nets.

The debris, which was collected from a 100-metre stretch of the beach, was organised in affiliation with the Marine Conservation Society.

Peter Riste, a lead engineer at UK Power Networks, led the team of 15 volunteers who usually work on power network enhancements across the South East.

He said: "I started litter picking with my family after my children learnt about plastic pollution at school and asked how they could help the environment.

"They now have their own litter pickers and enjoy using them on walks in the local area.

"We don't like littering and always take our beach litter home. I hope others can be encouraged to do the same.

"A lot of debris in the sea ends up on Ovingdean beach. There has been a drop in plastic bag waste since the ban on single use plastic bags and that’s making a difference, but they see a lot of fish netting, which gets tangled in wildlife and birds.”

The beach cleaning effort is a part of UK Power Networks' "Donate a Day" volunteering scheme.

Ella Garrud, a marine conservationist from Sussex Wildlife Trust, said: "Plastics that wash up from the ocean onto the strandline continue to pose a threat to marine life.

"This is why it's so important to do a beach clean every time you visit a beach. Thank you to the UK Power Networks volunteers for helping to make a difference."