COMMUNITY group Friends of Barry Beaches completed its first litter-pick since February this weekend.

On Sunday, ten members met at Porthkerry Beach to clear rubbish from the area, after being unable to do so due to Coronavirus restrictions from the Welsh Government and Keep Wales Tidy .

The group collected five bags of rubbish and four bags of recycling in one hour on Sunday, an amount that Friends of Barry Beaches treasurer Claire Curtis said was more than usual for that area.

"It was more than average, but perhaps because we haven't been there. Normally we would have been to Porthkerry twice since February," said Claire.

"In the autumn and winter when the leaves come off the trees, you see all the bottles and cans that have been thrown in.

"We were pleased and we did a good job."

The succession of UK-wide, county and national restrictions has prevented the group from litter-picking as they normally would this year.

"The schedule is a little out the window this year," said Claire.

"Normally our schedule is to meet on the last weekend of the month, but in September, it meant that the Vale was in lockdown.

"As we're a community organisation with insurance through Keep Wales Tidy it wasn't really in line with them for group activities to go ahead. So, this has been the first opportunity really," she said.

Even though up to 30 people could gather outdoors as part of an official organisation, the Friends of Barry Beaches decided to limit the litter-pick to 15.

"We asked people to notify us and we added them to a list with their details beforehand," said Claire.

"The minimum we would ever have had before is 12, but we've had more than 30 at some locations and in good weather."

Litter-picking is an activity that lends itself to social-distancing, as attendees can cover a wide area as individuals or in their household groups.

Claire said the most challenging part was remaining two-metres apart at the start and end of the pick.

"When you haven't seen each other in so long, its so easy to congregate closer together," she said.

"It's the beginning when everyone is getting their tools and putting on their hi-vis vests, we're all chatting.

"So, we made sure the equipment was laid out for people so they could keep apart and then it was washed and cleaned at the end."

Along with her husband Rob Curtis and Verity Allen, Claire has run Friends of Barry Beaches for ten years.

The group was due to celebrate its tenth anniversary in September at Porthkerry, and hopes to be able to complete its annual Boxing Day litter-pick.

"It's a long time to be running it but we're passionate about things like litter and the environment, and marine conservation," said Claire.

"We enjoy doing it and meet some great people doing it. Some people have been litter-picking for the whole ten years.

"Then we get some new people, some younger faces. We have an email trail that we send to people to let them know when our next pick is.

"If you can come to all of them, great, and if you can come to one of them, great. Come when you can," she said.