A VOLUNTEER group has picked more than 1000 bags of litter from Troon beach since April.

Friends of Troon Beaches picks up, literally, where the local council budget does not stretch to, with the main issue being the plastic that washes up on the sand from the sea.

Last summer the beach received much attention when hundreds of teenage revellers descended on the small town after an event listing was posted on a social media site.

Despite the carnage caused, the main problem, according to the volunteer group, is the one that persists throughout the winter months.

“The beach party was a one-off and it did get lots of publicity, but the one thing that is far worse is the plastic from the ocean,” said Joy Melville, the group’s co-founder.

“We pick up these nets, all the old fishing lines, and blue gloves from the fishermen. I think it’s nationwide.

“When the teenagers leave the beach they just leave the beach,” she added. “But we, day in day out, all through the winter as well, are picking up stuff that drifts in from the Firth of Clyde.”

Joy said that she had contacted the local pub chain to ask them to stop using plastic straws, which find their way on to the beach. She also mentioned a potential sewage problem, with wipes and sanitary towels also having to be picked up.

The group co-operates with schools and nurseries to get them involved in the clean-up.

“I think everybody always assumes that its litter being dropped by people walking down on the beach. It’s not, it is the ocean plastic that’s coming in,” continued Melville.

“We’ve picked more than 1000 bags since April and with the weather just now, it’s going to be absolutely awful. And we are fighting to get the local authority to actually take the stuff we pick off the beach away because we’ve got no money to do that either. If it doesn’t come off the beach it goes back into the sea.

“It’s a huge, long area of beach and the problem is that we’re not near any bins, so we have to leave the bags because it’s a mile and a half walk to get to the nearest bin for some of the picks that we do.”

South Ayrshire Council were full of praise for the volunteers and said they were working with them in order to make their task easier, including constructing somewhere for them to store their equipment.

It said that it concentrates its budget for clearing the beach during the tourist season, employing a seasonal team to cover the beach-cleaning operations from April to September.

The council added that they more than meet the legislation which requires councils to clean their beaches every 21 days during the winter months.

“The Friends of Troon Beaches are a massive help to their community and the council,” said Mike Newall, head of neighbourhood services at South Ayrshire Council.

“We encourage community groups to participate in beach clean-ups and ask them to contact us prior to their activity so we can give them bags and make arrangements to collect their waste.”

He added: “We are currently working with the group to provide a secure unit where they can store their equipment. I very much hope this joint working will continue and that other groups are inspired to organise their own litter picks in conjunction with the council.”