...as she promises to continue war on plastic

LEADING by example, the Prime Minister is seen litter-picking in her constituency in a photo released alongside her New Year’s message.

Mrs May was pictured clearing rubbish with schoolchildren in Maidenhead, Berkshire in support of the Daily Mail’s Great Plastic Pick Up campaign. She joined tens of thousands of people across Britain removing plastic rubbish from green spaces and beaches during the threeday drive in May.

In her message yesterday, Mrs May highlighted the importance of preserving the natural world, and pledged to build on the successes of 2018. She said: ‘By protecting and enhancing our natural environment, we will make Britain a healthier place.’

The Daily Mail has led efforts to highlight the scourge of plastic pollution and the dangers it poses to wildlife and the natural environment.

Victories have included the introduction of a 5p charge on single-use bags, a ban on microbeads used in cosmetics, and a promise from the PM to dramatically cut plastic waste in the next 25 years.

LITTER pickers have collected one ton of rubbish from one British beach in only two hours.

The haul included plastic buckets, old rope, fish boxes, nets and three drums full of oil.

The volunteers said the oil drums could have ‘decimated’ the stunningly beautiful area if they had leaked.

Wildlife photographer and author Steve Trewhella, 54, organised the unofficial cleanup on Sunday with 12 others at Lulworth Cove, on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.

He said the rubbish was a sad feature of the local beaches but recent onshore winds had made it worse. ‘It’s a problem that affects all the South West’s beaches,’ he added.

‘We’re just desensitised to it. It’s unfortunate that it doesn’t shock us any more.’

The rubbish was collected from the beach at Worbarrow Bay. The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage site and has protected status because of its unique geology.

The shocking haul shows how much work has still to be done in tackling the scourge of plastic waste, despite the great success of the Daily Mail’s Turn The Tide On Plastic campaign.