Offenders serving community sentences have helped remove harmful waste from a popular Teignbridge beach as part of a national event.

Supervised community payback teams were put to work on Dawlish Warren beach during the Marine Conservation Society’s national Great British Beach Clean event.

They collected bags of rubbish, including plastic cutlery, food packaging, and discarded buckets and spades.

The Community Payback scheme sees the offenders provide unpaid work as part of requirements ordered by courts as part of a community sentence.

Lizzie Price, beachwatch manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “We really value offenders playing an active role in protecting our seas and communities.

“Clearing litter from our beaches is a practical way to contribute to both the local environment and wider conservation efforts and helps to gather important information on what’s washing up on our shores.

“From sewage-related items such as wet wipes to plastic bottles, recording each piece of litter helps us better understand ocean pollution and supports us in campaigning for cleaner seas and a healthier planet.”

Ms Price added that litter left on beaches can have a serious impact on wildlife and coastal environments, with plastic items breaking down into microplastics and causing long-lasting damage to coastal environments and threatening wildlife.

The community work initiative has been championed by the minister for prisons, probation and reducing reoffending, Catherine McKinnell.

She said as well as the work undertaken, it helps offenders get into a working routine and gain practical skills.

“Projects like this ensure that offenders give back to the communities they have harmed through meaningful work that delivers a positive impact locally,” she said.

“Through doing the unpaid work they are developing skills, work experience and positive habits that can help them secure employment and reduce reoffending.

“Delivering punishment that also works to cut crime will make our streets safer and better protect the public.”

Community sentences are made up of 14 possible requirements that those convicted of offences are expected to meet, which include restrictions such as unpaid work they must carry out in the community, exclusion zones, electronically monitored curfews, and treatment programmes.

If not met, offenders risk being sent back to court.

The expansion of punishments outside of prison, like community sentences, is part of wider landmark sentencing reforms implemented by the government as it tries to make sure prisons don’t become full.

The Government has said it is building 14,000 prison places and investing £700 million to strengthen the probation service.