VOLUNTEERS braved the elements for their fourth and final clean of the year at Batten Bay.

Twelve members of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Plymouth Local Group spent an hour cleaning the beach and recovered six bags of rubbish, along with several large pieces of wood, a scraper and a wooden palette.

Most items found were plastic, such as crisp packets, drinks bottles and very small pieces of plastic, as well as pieces of fishing line and net.

The most unusual item was a cauliflower, and volunteers also removed broken glass. Survey forms will be sent off to the MCS for analysis of what was picked up.

Amy Bugg of MCS said: "Participants' efforts are greatly appreciated and they have helped to make a real difference to the marine environment."

She said marine litter killed more than one million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals every year and the amount of litter on our beaches had almost doubled in the last 15 years.