Beach cleaner collects 22,250 bottle caps among washed up trash

By James Connolly

A beach cleaner has uncovered a staggering haul of trash washed up on Britain's coastline - including more than 22,250 bottle tops and 1,110 tampon applicators.

Dave Shackleton, 63, says the sheer volume and variety of waste he's found along Cumbrian shores over the last five years shows just how polluted our seas have become.

The former RSPB worker spends his days scouring beaches near Ravenglass, collecting everything from fishing gear to safety helmets - and displaying it all outside his house.

He said: "I'm trying to get the message out about what we're doing to our seas, particularly the amount of trash in them.

"I think I must have the biggest collection of tampon applicators in northern England."

Dave, who moved to the village in 2021, says many of his discoveries come from industrial waste.

He said: "Most of what I find is from the fishing industry, like huge amounts of netting and rope.

"By volume, that's the biggest issue."

Among the strangest items he's recovered are objects that have drifted thousands of miles across the Atlantic.

Dave said: "I've found stuff that has washed up from America and bait boxes from Canadian fishermen.

"A lot of the fishing stuff comes from Ireland."

But it's the sheer quantity of everyday items that shocks visitors the most.

He said: "People are most surprised by the cigarette lighters, because to see so many piled up in one place looks quite strange."

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Dave heads out whenever the weather allows, often spending entire days alone combing shingle beaches and hauling trash back using a trailer.

He separates the items and groups them together - creating eye-catching displays outside his home featuring everything from mountains of crocs to a giant teddy bear named Boris.

The retired conservation worker admits the scale of the problem can be infuriating.

He said: "It angers me that this stuff ends up in the sea because it shows a lack of responsibility.

"When you get rubbish dropped in the countryside, that can make the national news - but if you walk along our beaches in Britain, you will see that they are covered in rubbish."

Dave hopes the shocking finds will make people think twice about their habits.

He said: "Do people really need to keep buying plastic bottles?

"If so, why don't they recycle them? Don't just dump them or throw them overboard.

"I've even seen toothbrushes washing up because people are chucking them down the toilet."

Despite the grim discoveries, he says the work itself is rewarding.

He said: "It's actually very cathartic - and it keeps you fit.

"But that's not why I do it, it's because I want to clean as much of our beaches as I can."

Dave added: "I've begun to realise just how important my display is, because if it sends a message to people, that will really help."

So far, Dave has collected:

• Bottle tops - 22,250
• Drinks bottles - 4,160
• Cotton bud stalks - 3,756
• Shotgun cartridges - 2,000
• Cigarette lighters - 1480
• Tampon applicators - 1,110
• Celebration balloons - 760
• Footwear - 700
• Dog balls - 463
• Oil drums - 251
• Tires - 49
• Fishing waste - 500 large bin liners worth
• General rubbish - 245 large bin liners worth