A dogged effort to clean a beach of its rubbish has seen 250,000 items removed off the seafront - by a litter-picking labrador

A dogged effort to clean a beach of its rubbish has seen 250,000 items removed off the seafront - by a litter-picking labrador
A dogged effort to clean a beach of its rubbish has seen 250,000 items removed off the seafront - by a litter-picking labrador

A dogged effort to clean a beach of its rubbish has seen 250,000 items removed from the seafront - by a litter-picking labrador.

Determined pooch Molly's owner Fliss Cater say they pick up hundreds of pieces of rubbish everyday - and didn't even take a break on Christmas Day.

Two-year-old Molly - a Labrador retriever - would always find plastic bottles as a puppy which inspired Fliss to turn her habit into a good cause.

As a little pup, Molly would speed out onto the beach and pick up as much as she could, but they've since had to implement a more rigid system.

Fliss became worried that Molly would find objects that could harm her - so she trained her to find specific items.

The smart pooch now knows how to dig up bottles, ropes, toys and buckets when instructed.

Fliss, 35, said: "I taught her different commands to keep her safe, because there'll be things on the beach that could harm her."

"There are needles and sharp objects or just things you wouldn't expect, so I wouldn't let her go and pick anything up on her own."

"As a puppy she picked up a dead animal once or twice, but I told her off and put on my angriest voice and she's never done it since."

"Fliss moved to Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 2017 where she opened a bath and skincare shop - but she couldn't believe how much litter she found left "senselessly" on the beach.

"If you live by the beach and enjoy it, I think it's your responsibility to keep it clean. In the summer it was impossible to avoid the litter - it was just everywhere."

See her in action in the video above.

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