Beach Buddies’ records have been ’smashed to bits’ after a record number of volunteers collected a record amount of rubbish at the charity’s first event of the year.

Some 123 helpers, the largest number to date, attended the first weekly volunteer event where they picked up rubbish at Ballaugh Cronk.

Sunday’s beach clean marked one day after Beach Buddies’ 10th anniversary.

The charity’s previous record of 91 bags was broken when volunteers filled 183 bags with old tyres, rope and a range of plastic materials over the course of the day.

’It was, to be honest, overwhelming,’ said Beach Buddies founder Bill Dale.

’I expected a good turn-out, and it was great to see that around a dozen people were there when I arrived.

’They had got there more than half-an-hour before the event was due to start, which was a hint as to what might happen.

’The sheer number of people, especially the number of families present, was actually quite humbling.

’There has suddenly been a lot of publicity lately about the way we have abused the oceans, and it’s fantastic that people are now starting to take notice and show that they care, but this was totally unexpected.

’To smash all our previous records by such a margin is just fantastic.

’More to the point, this is brilliant news because it shows that more and more people are now taking notice of what is happening to our environment and wildlife.

’We are setting worldwide standards in the Isle of Man, and today again says that our people are showing the rest of the world how it’s done,’ Bill added.

Around 30 new volunteers took part in the clean-up for the first time.

For more pictures, see this week’s Manx Independent.