Around 20 kilos of rubbish was collected on the sands at Rhyl

This weekend people across Wales have been joining in the Marine Conservation Society's annual Beachwatch survey and clean-up.

Members of the Rhyl Environmental Association played their part by visiting their local foreshore.

Chairman Peter Wellington had just returned from a holiday in the south of France and said the contrast between the Riviera and Rhyl was stark.

We certainly can learn from the French as far as keeping our beaches and streets clean Peter Wellington

On Sunday morning around 20kg of rubbish including cans, bottles, and plastic bags were picked up on the beach.

Mr Wellington said there were too many cigarette butts to even start to think about collecting and dog mess was also a big problem.

"We picked up more than we have in the last couple of years," he said.

"I have just come back from the south of France and when you see how clean it is there it's quite astonishing to come back here.

Recycling bins

"We certainly can learn from the French as far as keeping our beaches and streets clean.

"They rake and clean their beaches everyday and they have dedicated recycling bins on their promenades."

He said a relatively low tide and off-shore conditions might have contributed to this year's increase in litter.

But he added: ""Basically people are just lazy but that is not just Rhyl but at many beaches."

Like all the other Beachwatch events taking place in Wales the results of the survey will now be forwarded to the Marine Conservation Society.

Among the other beaches in north Wales under the spotlight were Harlech, Pwllheli and Conwy.

The society was set-up in 1983 to campaign to try and keep British beaches free from litter and pollution.

During the 2002 survey 2,598 volunteers collected more than 241,285 items of litter from 229 beaches across the UK.