A LOVE letter written in French and posted inside a bottle which washed ashore in Rhu is among the quirky items recovered by a team of beach cleaners.

The Rhu Clean-Up Crew, which was formed by local women Rhiannon May and Kate Williams towards the end of 2018, assembles on the last Sunday of each month and takes to the waterfront near Helensburgh to tackle the litter brought in by the waves.

The River Clyde and Gare Loch have thrown up some intriguing surprises, including several whole coconuts, a legless Barbie doll figure, and, last weekend, the bona fide message in a bottle.

READ MORE: Rhu beach clean sparks plastic waste concern

Following that discovery, Kate said: “We had 46 people, including myself, involved in the latest beach clean, with 30 Beavers from 1st Rhu Beavers, five members from a couple of local Glasgow Sainsbury’s stores who were volunteering, and 11 of our regular avid beach cleaning locals.

“We had a similar turnout last year with 40 for our first ever clean-up, so it is great to see active engagement increasing.

“The Beavers are going to respond to the owner of the message in the bottle, who wrote in French his declaration of love for a woman and sent it from Glasgow.

“The litter all along the Clyde ends up on the beaches in Cardross, Garelochhead, Cove, Arrochar and beyond and it is all coming from one place mainly.

“Unfortunately it stems from Glasgow, and we now have definitive proof of this.”

Monthly beach cleans are becoming a highlight on the community events calendar throughout Helensburgh and Lomond and with 2020 being the year of Scotland’s coasts and waters, Kate is hoping more people take part to protect their local environment.

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She said: “We need more people to get involved or else the situation is just going to get worse.

“We have made great strides, not only through our community involvement with beach cleaning, but also other initiatives in the town to educate folk about plastic and recycling.

“It has sparked interest in reducing plastic consumption mainly through initiatives such as Plastic Free Helensburgh, who hold regular information stalls to inform the public of more sustainable options.

“The new Zero Waste Shop is also a hub for people actively seeking alternatives.

“But the plastic pollution is not just on our beaches in Rhu, but along the whole of the Clyde.

“Community beach cleans are great for stopping the plastic going back into the ocean, boosting community spirit, educating on alternatives to items we find, and just generally being active in the outdoors.

“However we can’t continuously rely on the loyalty of the community and the eagerness of the younger generation – this year we hope to make some progress with tackling the problem at source or at least finding some answers as to where the litter is coming from.

“The amount of menstrual products, wipes and cotton buds is staggering – how is this getting into the Clyde?”

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