VOLUNTEERS carried out a litter pick at Ardrossan's South Beach and North Shore at the weekend.

The events were part of the Marine Conservation Society's Great British Beach Clean campaign and the South Beach group of 10 volunteers, from the Three Towns, Glasgow and Paisley, removed five bags of general waste and recyclables from the shore.

A group also hit the North Shore on Sunday, removing five bags of general waste and recyclables, with local volunteers joining those from Sanquhar, Glasgow and Newton Mearns.

(Image: Allan Merry) Every September, thousands of volunteers take part in the Great British Beach Clean flagship event, heading to coasts around the UK and Channel Islands to remove marine litter and record what they find.

The Marine Conservation Society have declared an ocean emergency due to the amount of plastic now polluting our seas.

Every year, between eight and 13 million tonnes of plastic enters our oceans. In fact, some areas of the ocean floor now have 1.9 million plastic pieces per square metre.

To find out about future beach cleans or to volunteer, visit mcsuk.org.