A TEAM of photographers worked hard to restore one of their favourite locations back to its natural beauty after it had been found littered with rubbish.

Members of Junction 36 Photo Club, based in Burton-in-Kendal, braved rain and gale force winds on Sunday to clean up one of the beaches on the Cumbria coast.

A place the volunteers called a “spectacular” location for photography, Fleswick Bay, just north of St Bees, was found to be covered with litter.

As part of the Big Clean campaign, the photographers vowed to do something about it.

Armed with litter pickers and bin bags they worked together to collect as much rubbish as they possibly could.

Chairman Tim Hancock, who organised the trip, said the day was a great success despite it being made somewhat more difficult due to the conditions.

“It felt good to know that the Junction 36 Club had made its contribution to ridding the Cumbrian coast of plastic,” he said.

“As we collected the rubbish it was continuing to be washed ashore - I watched as a tube of mastic, supermarket plastic bag and plastic bottle were swept ashore landing where we had just cleaned.

“The club will continue to work to help improve the local environment whenever we can.”

The Westmorland Gazette’s Big Clean appeal, run in conjunction with the Mail, aims to encourage local communities to take pride in the areas they live.

Sponsored by Kimberly Clark, Spirit Energy and South Lakeland District Council, it calls on schools, community groups and businesses to do what they can to clear up any litter strewn-patches of land.

Meanwhile, history patrons from Furness Abbey Fellowship (FAF), cleared rubbish from the surrounding area of Barrow’s famous Furness Abbey.

The small charity found that the monument’s encircled pathways, fields and quarry had become a visiting hub for littering visitors.

Gill Jespon, FAF chairman, said one of the main issues the community faced was when people camped within the quarry next to the 12th century abbey.