Volunteers are being sought to help scoop-up unwanted rubbish when the fourth annual Beach Clean Up by Marks & Spencer and the Marine Conservation Society gets underway.

Residents, businesses, students and societies are invited to join them in helping remove litter and debris from Mockbeggar Wharf beach in May.

Chrissy Verdin, store manager at M&S Birkenhead, said: “A fantastic effort was made last year with around 250km of coastline and canals cleared which resulted in 4,000 bin bags full of litter collected across the country.

“This year we’re calling upon as many local people as possible to take part in their local Big Beach Clean Up.

"It’s a great initiative that brings communities together to do something worthwhile but it’s always great fun too."

The litter-pick will take place at 135 beaches and canals up and down the country between May 7 and May 13.

It is expected more than 8,000 people - 3,000 M&S employees and 5,000 customers - will take part.

The Wirral event takes place on May 10, and readers can sign-up here

Most of the litter collected will be common waste items such as wrappers, drink bottles and lids as well as fishing lines.

It is also likely to include wet wipes, with last week’s conservation society survey reporting a 50% rise in the number found on beaches in 2014 compared to the previous year.

Last year 10,950 cotton buds, 21,900 wrappers, 55,600 plastic pieces were collected.

Cleaners also found an array of unusual items including false teeth, a hammer, a plastic leg, two motorbikes, a Smurf, a breast implant and an Action Man.

Sacha Berendji, director of retail at Marks & Spencer, said: “Clean waterways and beaches mean clean seas and our store colleagues up and down the country will be making preparations to clean their local beach or canal."

Samantha Fanshawe, MCS chief executive, said: “The Big Beach Clean-up has grown year on year, involving thousands of amazing volunteers ready to don gloves and bags and pick up the rubbish left behind by others, washed down from rivers or discarded from fishing boats and ships."

The Big Beach Clean-up is part of the retailer's Forever Fish campaign, which is funded by the profits from the 5p carrier-bag charge in M&S food halls.

Since its introduction in 2008, the charge has reduced carrier bag use by 75% and raised more than £8m for good causes.