A campaign to reduce the amount of plastic making its way into the sea from Canvey is being launched in light of shocking figures released nationally.

The Friends of Concord Beach has launched ‘Keep Plastic Off The Beach and Out Of The Sea’.

A recent study has shown the shocking amount of plastic in the earth’s sea, with fears raised that by 2050 the weight of plastic in the ocean could outweigh the weight of fish and that over 90 per cent of all seabirds have plastic in their stomachs.

The statistics made grim reading for Colin Letchford, chairman of the Friends of Concord Beach, and his team of volunteers, who immediately launched the campaign.

He said: “For the past eight years, volunteers from the Friends of Concord Beach have litter picked the seafront both sides of the sea wall.

“We are well aware of the amount of plastic that is carelessly discarded. The media has made us all aware of the growing problem of plastic in the world’s oceans.

“We have decided to launch a campaign to share the concerns about plastic entering the sea with those who use the beaches on Canvey’s seafront.

“In the future, we hope to install bins at the beach specifically for plastic.

“We hope to develop ways smokers can discard cigarette butts safely. “

Posters have been placed in noticeboards at Concord Beach and in the group's hut at Monico Corner.

The group hopes to encourage people to learn about plastic pollution in the sea, with the posters giving a host of daunting facts, while they are planning educational presentations to schools and community groups.

Volunteer Steve McGinnis said: “Its quite scary really when you read figures like that you are quite taken back by it.

“Its the accumulative effect, and it really does add up.

“On a Sunday morning, we will regular collect four or five big bin bags mainly of plastic.

“Now imagine that multiplied, it is concerning.”