DOZENS of volunteers collected 12 sacks of rubbish during a mass city beach-clean.

Fifty volunteers from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and British Trust for Conservation Volunteers took part in the operation at Batten Bay.

Twelve bags of rubbish, weighing 33kg in total and containing 1,840 pieces of litter, were collected.

Amy Bugg, MCS Plymouth group beach clean-up co-ordinator, said almost 70 per cent was plastic.

"Beach litter is at its highest levels since records began," she said. "There are two pieces of litter for every footstep you take on a beach. This litter causes problems for both visitors and marine wildlife.

"Hundreds of species of marine wildlife accidentally eat or become entangled in litter. In addition to harming wildlife, litter on our beaches is hazardous to people and costs millions to clear up."

The results of the beach-clean have been sent to the MCS for analysis and will be included in its 2010 Beachwatch report.