Welsh beaches are the most littered

Litter on Welsh beaches reached a record high in 2004, according to the the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

In its snapshot survey, Talacre was found to have 645 items of litter, but the MCS said it was still one of the cleanest.

Beach rangers say some of this litter is brought in by the tide.

The MCS found a general rise in problems at beaches in Wales and the west of England over the survey period.

These included a trend for plastic bottles and packaging material being found.

Mike Taylor senior countryside ranger at Flintshire County Council said bare statistics did not tell the whole story.

He said Talacre was the last beach before the Dee estuary, which led to litter being washed up by the tide from other beaches.

Pauline Robertson has lived near the beach for 27 years. She said the countryside rangers are "doing a good job".

"They don't have a lot of litter on the beach," she added.

Mr Taylor said Talacre beach was cleaned every day between Easter and September and the litter counted in the survey was from the spit which is where the tide deposits everything before it hits the Dee Estuary.

On our visit on Tuesday, the beach was spotlessly clean.

"I would say its unfortunate that we do have these statistics," said Mr Taylor.

"I don't think they're a true reflection of the effort that goes into the beach.

"We are at the end of long shore drift so all the tides come down the coast from Anglesey," he added.

Its management is not just about making the rural beach a pleasant place to visit.

The dunes surrounding Talacre Beach are a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest(SSSI) and act as a haven for wildlife including Natterjack toads.

The beach is owned by BHP Billiton and Presthaven Sands. Mr Taylor said the landowners help keep the area clean and tidy.

In addition, Talacre beach has a yellow flag for its beach cleanliness.