The amount of rubbish polluting Sussex beaches has reached a record high.

Figures from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) reveal there are now on average two items of litter in every metre of coastline – a 110% increase on 15 years ago.

According to the survey, finding a spot to sunbathe is more difficult than ever, unless you're willing to remove piles of crisps and sweet wrappers, which make up the highest proportion of waste.

More than 5,000 volunteers scoured 374 beaches to record the reality of litter dropping and found over 386,000 pieces of rubbish.

One third of the waster was manmade litter and packaging, 15% were by-products of fishing and shipping and 6.2% was sanitary and sewage waste.

Bizarrely, cotton bud sticks made up almost 5% of the waste.

A spokeswoman for the society said the rubbish can harm wildlife and called on the Government to develop a "co-ordinated marine litter strategy" to tackle the problem.

Emma Snowden, a co-ordinator at the MCS, said: "Litter can harm and kill wildlife through ingestion and entanglement but it can also be harmful to people.

"This is a man made problem. Every piece of litter has an owner and we all need to take responsibility".

Sue Kinsey from the MCS added that discarded fishing nets and lines regularly injure and drown wildlife including seals and dolphins.

The society found that 170 animals had been recorded as mistaking plastic bags for food items which can result in starvation, poisoning and stomach blockages.

The average density of UK beach litter in this years survey was 2,195 items per kilometre, compared with 1,045 pieces found during the 1994 survey.

The society say the results are shocking because the litter has increased 10% on last years results.

Robin Wilkins, managing director of SeaFrance which co-funded the survey said the results, which were up 10% on last year were “surprising”.

The society now want to set up specific agencies in charge of stopping marine litter and have set up a petition to call on minister to put such a plan into action.

To sign the petition visit www.mcsuk.org