A World Clean Up Day event held by Plastic Free North Devon has been hailed as a success.

With the aim of World Clean Up Day being to activate five per cent of the world's population to catalyse lasting societal change in behaviour around mismanaged waste, the volunteers targeted businesses and local organisational partners along the Tarka Trail to join them in a mass clean of the trail and estuary.

With funding and support from Coastal Recycling and Saltrock to run this event as well as securing additional logistical support from North Devon Council and Torridge District Council, the group were able to help activate and organise cleans at 12 different locations along the route.

One-hundred volunteers from 12 local businesses and organisations collected 650 kilos of rubbish along 10.6 miles of the Tarka Trail. Each group collected bags of debris from the estuary and trail.

Among the finds were three crocs of the shoe variety, a bike wheel, a car stereo, make up and a garden fork, with the most common finds being plastic bottles, drinks cans and fishing related debris.

Claire Moodie, Plastic Free North Devon’s chief operating officer said: “Our first mass clean up on World Clean Up Day saw 100 volunteers helping to clear away debris and plastics from not only one of the most ecologically important areas in our region, but a place where locals and visitors enjoy too.

“We loved the logistical challenge of bringing multiple businesses, organisations and individuals together to take action in the area we love alongside millions of others across the globe on the same day. It was great to see our North Devon MP Ian Roome and some of our local councillors getting stuck in too. We hope to build on this pilot project ready for next year's event where we hope we can get even more people activated to help protect and improve our local environment.”

A spokesperson added: “We would like to extend our thanks to all the businesses and organisations who came out to support this initiative. All of these businesses and organisations helped in making this event a success.”