Three intrepid Goodgym runners braved the cold and wind to join a small but perfectly formed army of beach combers today.

Effie, Mat and I met Val from The Friends of Crosby Beach, and, after reading the health and safety notices, set off to do our bit to keep this beautiful stretch of Sefton's coastline clean.

Closely watched by the iron men of Anthony Gormley's 'Another Place', we were not the only group to don hi-viz jackets and take to the shore. Armed with litter pickers and plastic bags, families, dog owners and a group of local Cub Scouts had soon amassed a wide range of items left behind on the sands: cotton buds, baby wipes, bottle tops, polystyrene and lots and lots of tiny pieces of plastic.

Some of the litter was partially buried in the sand dunes, or had gathered under bushes...but there was no hiding place good enough to get the better of The Friends of Crosby Beach team.

After two hours, the stretch of beach and sand dunes between Seaforth and Crosby Beach North had been thoroughly picked clean.

The monthly beach clean is clearly having a positive impact, and we are looking forward to joining the next event...hopefully with some more sunshine ☀️.