DORSET residents are being encouraged to take part in a challenge to clean up the county.

This June, Litter Free Dorset wants to give everyone the chance to improve their local area at a time that suits them.

This initiative by the community campaign is supported by Queen Mary University of London and co-financed by the Interreg France (Channel) England programme through the Preventing Plastic Pollution (PPP) project.

PPP project leader at Queen Mary University of London, Dr Iwan Jones said: "Joining in the challenge can help to clear up your local environment, but providing us with your data can help us to develop solutions to the problem of plastic pollution, which can then be utilised across the channel region as well as further afield."

From Saturday, May 1 to Monday, May 17, residents in Dorset can sign up to take part in the Litter Free Dorset Challenge which will run for the duration of June.

Those who sign up to a challenge of their choosing will be gifted with a litter picker, T-shirt and weighing scales.

They will also be able to contribute their litter picking data to Prevent Plastic Pollution’s citizen science project.

By taking part individuals will benefit local wildlife by reducing the impacts of plastic pollution as well as have the opportunity to provide data about amount and/or types of litter collected to help inform solutions to tackle plastic pollution long term.

Coordinator for Litter Free Dorset, Sophie Colley said: "Litter picking is proven to increase your fitness and wellbeing. This is due to being outdoors, exploring new places and meeting new people along the way."

Alongside the challenge, Litter Free Dorset has created a Facebook group for participants to share their progress and receive support from each other as well as the public.

To join the Facebook group, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/145548897506548 and to sign up to the challenge visit: https://www.dorsetcoasthaveyoursay.co.uk/the-litter-free-dorset-challenge