A massive reduction in the number of babywipes and other items flushed down the toilet has been recorded by Beach Buddies during its latest beach cleaning event on the two-mile stretch of beach in Ramsey Bay.

Having recorded more than 7,500 babywipes being found during a beach cleaning event in December 2017, the latest event found only a handful, all of which were clearly very old, tangled in driftwood and seaweed.

’It is a complete transformation of Ramsey beach,’ said Bill Dale, founder of Beach Buddies. ’For many years this beach has been covered in thousands and thousands of babywipes, cotton buds and tampons, but now it’s all ended.

’It coincided precisely with the new sewage treatment plant at Balladoole going online at the end of 2017.

’By sheer coincidence, the exact day before it went online we had a large number of volunteers on the beach for a session. They returned with thousands of babywipes and other items which people mistakenly throw down the toilet.

’When we went back last week the beach was a completely different story. We didn’t find one new babywipe, just a small handful of old cotton buds and only a few old wipes which were wrapped around pieces of driftwood or tangled in rope. It was a total transformation.

’We know it cost a lot of money to install the new sewage treatment plant at Balladoole, but this proves it works. Ramsey beach is so much better - and everyone has noticed.’

FIM Capital sponsors Beach Buddies