Beach cleaners at Lepe find 200 plastic 'nurdles'

A LARGE quantity of “nurdles” – small plastic pellets – were found on Lepe beach during a clean up carried out by the Rotary clubs of Hythe and Southampton East.

For their first beach survey of the year, they were joined by members of the public in a litter pick along 100 metres of beach, recording their findings for the Marine Conservation Society.

A spokesperson said: "Nurdles – microplastics which are less that 5mm in size – spilt on land at industrial facilities can float off down drains and ultimately out to sea.

"Currents and wind disperse them and they are now washing up on beaches across the globe. Beaches along the Firth of Forth are accumulating them in worryingly large numbers."