Cleaning up at Loughshore Park

Marks and Spencer staff and customers, and local community groups were joined by the mayor and deputy mayor of Newtownabbey, Alderman Fraser Agnew and Alderman Dineen Walker to remove rubbish from the shoreline and protect the area’s marine life.

More than 44 bags of rubbish (3,265 items) were collected, weighing in at 390kg. This included everything from wrappers, tin cans and pieces of rope to more unusual items such as pants, a car mat, a ‘For Sale’ sign and a Christmas bauble.

Simon Lucas, head of region for M&S in Northern Ireland, said: “We were absolutely delighted with the turnout for this year’s Big Beach Clean-up and would like to thank everyone who gave up their time to help tidy Loughshore. The clean-up is all about bringing the local community together to help protect marine life and the environment, and it was fantastic to see so many people working together, having fun and supporting such a great cause.”

The M&S event is run in partnership with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

The M&S Big Beach Clean-up is part of the chain’s ‘Forever Fish’ campaign which is funded by the profits from the five pence carrier bag charge in its food halls.

Customers can find out more about the M&S Big Beach Clean-up at www.marksandspencer.com/plana or by logging on to www.facebook.com/marksandspencer

• Also pictured: Mayor and deputy mayor of Newtownabbey, Alderman Fraser Agnew and Alderman Dineen Walker, joined head of Marks & Spencer Ireland, Jonathan Glenister, and head of region for M&S in Northern Ireland, Simon Lucas, at the M&S Big Beach Clean-up, in partnership with the Marine Conversation Society, at Loughshore Park, Jordanstown. Pic by Simon Graham/Harrison Photography