VISITORS to Cornwall's beaches this Easter are being urged to help keep them clean.

With Easter approaching – and thousands of visitors expected to flock to Cornwall’s beaches for the first time this year – Cornwall Council is asking people to join forces with council staff, more than 50 community organisations and countless volunteers who all work tirelessly to keep Cornwall’s beaches among the safest and cleanest in the world.

The council said the message from Cornwall was clear – when you visit Cornwall’s beaches this year, love them as much as we do, enjoy every minute, stay safe, leave only your footprints behind and take your litter home.

Cornwall Council currently manages and delivers a wide range of services on beaches to keep visitors safe and our beaches at a great standard for people to enjoy, including:

• through the RNLI, funding lifeguards on 60 Cornish beaches throughout the season including 14 beaches during Easter

• managing the bathing water quality at 86 beaches

• providing beach cleansing services at 34 beach locations across Cornwall

In addition, the council also works in partnership with a wide range of community organisations and charities, harnessing the considerable power of local volunteers, to ensure that our coastline is safe, sustainable and litter free including:

• Through a partnership with Sharps Brewery, Cornwall Council facilitates applications from across Cornwall for blue flag and seaside awards, which raises awareness of the quality of Cornwall’s beaches and the need to sustainably manage them;

• Working with a wide range of environmental groups including the Cornish Plastic Pollution coalition, who recently highlighted the dangers of dropping plastic on our beaches and the effects on the surrounding marine life by creating a “meal” out of plastic waste as part of the 2018 Great British Spring Clean;

• Funding a number of #2 minute litter pick stations across beaches last season;

• Working with South West Water through “Beachwise” to raise awareness of bathing water quality and give bathers an informed choice about when and where they bathe;

• Planning to fund better access to a number of beaches through our capital investment programme.

Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for environment and public protection Sue James said: "Cornwall has over three hundred miles of coastline, including some of the best beaches in the world.

"We have a duty to take care of them for future generations. I want to thank the very many volunteers all across Cornwall who raise awareness about marine litter, organise beach cleans, all playing a valuable role in helping us to keep our beaches special.

“Our coastline is there for everyone to enjoy so we need everyone who visits to play their part in preserving our beaches, protecting the natural habitat of our wildlife and keeping them clean and safe. So, when you visit a beach, make sure you take all your belongings home and don't leave litter for others to pick up.

“Disposable nappies and wet wipes can play havoc in public toilets at beach sites' if not disposed of properly. Remember only pee, paper and poo can be flushed down the loo!

“David Attenborough showed vividly how harmful plastic is to the natural environment and wildlife. There is no place for plastic on a beach – so, reduce what you take there and any you take, dispose of responsibly or take home."