Kent's beaches are among the dirtiest in England according to the results of a new litter survey.

During a clean-up of 14 beaches in the county last year a total of 21,085 pieces of rubbish were collected - up by around 9,000 on 2013. That is enough to fill 155 bin bags.

The most rubbish, 39 bags, was collected at Shakespeare Beach, Dover, followed by 20 bags at both Deal and Sheerness.

Only Devon and Cornwall had higher levels of litter collected - both notching up around 29,000 items, according to the Marine Conservation Society.

Charlotte Coombes, the report's author, said Kent had some particular circumstances which contributed to the high levels.

She said: "It is quite a busy part of the coast, and very attractive to visitors and you have got the shipping and fishing industries nearby.

"So it probably one of the areas of the coast that's under pressure."

In the south east area as a whole more than 2,400 items were collected for every kilometre of beach - a small drop on 2013, but the second highest density on record.

The region had the highest volunteer turnout of all areas, with the most beaches and the longest distance surveyed in the UK.

The number of bags of rubbish collected on the 14 beaches is as follows:

• Deal, 20
• Dungeness, 12
• Epple Bay, Thanet, 4
• Grenham Bay, Thanet, 5
• Kingsdown, 8
• Pegwell Bay, 13
• Plumpudding, Minnis Bay, 8
• Princes Parade, Hythe (2.5)
• Shakespeare, Dover 39
• Sheerness, 20
• St Mildred's Bay, Thanet 0.5
• Studd Hill, Herne Bay, 6
• Walpole Bay, Thanet, 15
• Whiteness Bay, Thanet 2.5

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