A surfer from Porthleven is heading up a new campaign bidding to ban plastic bags, water bottles and coffee cups from the town to help save the sea.

Dai Lawton, who helps to organise the many harbour cleans in the port, has become spokesperson for the new group Refresh Porthleven and has big ambitions, after becoming "alarmed" at the amount of plastic collected locally from the sea.

He said: “This is something we can all do something about. It’s our rubbish and we’re responsible for it. The sea is a constant reminder of how much plastic is used just once and thrown away.”

Dai and the rest of the new group are launching their campaign to help residents and visitors ditch their own single use plastic, with the ultimate aim of introducing a drinking fountain in a central location in Porthleven.

Despite being in existence only a few weeks they’ve already teamed up with other organisations like Refill Cornwall, Porthleven Business Forum, The Food Festival and the Masked Ball.

“We’re very grateful for sponsorship from Arc Live for refillable bamboo coffee cups, and to Origin Coffee who have offered us The Brewhouse on the Harbour Head for Christmas Tree Switch-on Night on December 8.

"We’ll be offering free coffees to everyone who buys one of the bamboo cups,” added Dai.

“We’re also producing refillable water bottles and encouraging other businesses to join Amelie’s Restaurant and The Square, who are doing this already, to re-fill water bottles for people."

Dai said there was so much support for Refresh Porthleven due to the ever-growing publicity about plastic waste in the ocean.

"Plastic waste in the sea just gets smaller and smaller until fish and seabirds think it’s food, killing them and their young. Now people are realising it’s in our own food chain and that we are directly responsible for this," he said.

“The biggest ambition we have is for a drinking water fountain in a central position in the port, so that walkers, picnickers and anyone who’s thirsty can refresh themselves at any time, for free. Many people don’t realise that the very expensive bottled water they’ve just bought may be tap water anyway, unless they’ve specifically bought spring water. We have very healthy tap water in the UK.”

To help in any way, or for advice on reducing your own single-use plastic, get in touch with Refresh Porthleven through their Facebook page, or speak to Dai Lawton via Julia Schofield on 01326 618377 or 07972 158064.