Pembrokeshire’s beaches will be cleaner than ever before when the latest roll-out of #2MinuteBeachClean boards is complete, says Pembrokeshire County Council cabinet member for the environment Cris Tomos.

The number of boards available to the public will virtually double after the county council announced a further 10 boards are to be rolled out across the county.

It means the public will now be able to give a quick two-minute clean to 21 Pembrokeshire beaches when they visit this summer to keep the sands and their surroundings litter-free.

The boards contain litter pickers and bags which can be used to collect the rubbish and dispose of in the nearest bin to be recycled where possible.

They are allocated to individuals or businesses who ensure the boards are stored away safely when not in use and well stocked when they are.

“Unfortunately with every tide a new wave of rubbish is left on our beaches,” says Clr. Tomos.

“This initiative helps us try and keep on top of that to ensure they are clean for future visitors.”

The first #2MinuteBeachClean board in Pembrokeshire was set up at Newgale in 2016 by surfer Paul Hill who was concerned about the amount of plastic appearing on the beach.

Having set-up the board, with the support of the county council and Keep Wales Tidy, it proved to be an overwhelming success.

Paul put 20 clean bags in the dispenser every morning, and by the end of the day they had all been used and the rubbish disposed of.

Katie Daly, the county council’s environmental services project officer, said the Newgale scheme was such a success that she sought funding for more boards in Pembrokeshire.

The following summer, the county council introduced an additional 10 #2MinuteBeachClean boards in a variety of locations including Coppet Hall, Saunderfoot, and Broad Haven.

“It’s a simple but brilliant system that helps keep our beaches looking good,” said Katie.

The new beach boards introduced this summer are being paid for by the County Council’s community enhancement fund as part of the public toilets charging scheme contract with Danfo (UK) Ltd.

• Individuals or businesses wishing to learn more about hosting a board can do so by calling Pembrokeshire County Council on 01437 764551.