A tonne of waste has been found on a Dorset beach which was dumped in the ocean by fishermen.

Environmentalists claim the rubbish, found at Worbarrow Bay in Dorset, included three 25-litre drums of used engine oil.

Other items recovered at the British World Heritage Site were fishing and shipping nets, ropes and plastic drums - some of which had been washed up from as far away as the US and Canada.

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Conservationist Steve Trewella and a small group of 12 volunteers filled a large tractor trailer with the waste in order to remove the 1,000 kg mess (pictured). He is now calling for tougher sanctions to prevent fishing boats from dumping broken equipment overboard into the sea

Conservationist Steve Trewella and a small group of 12 volunteers filled a large tractor trailer with the waste in order to remove the 1,000 kg mess.

Mr Trewhella is now calling for tougher sanctions to prevent fishing boats from dumping broken equipment overboard into the sea.

He said: 'We removed an estimated 1,000kgs of litter from Worbarrow Bay and a handful of volunteers filled a very large tractor trailer.

'It was a depressing sight yet it's the same thing every year, this is not a new problem.

'The vast majority of items were fishing or shipping related - nets, rope and plastic drums.

'We even found three 25-litre drums full of old burnt engine oil.

The litter pickers said the oil drums could have 'decimated' the protected area if they had leaked.

Mr Trewhella said the trash pile showed the callous attitude of some commercial vessels towards the delicate marine ecosystems.

Worbarrow Bay, one mile from Tyneham village, is part of the Jurassic Coast, which has World Heritage Site status.

The crescent-shaped bay, which is on Ministry of Defence land, is considered to be one of Britain's most beautiful beaches.

The litter pickers said the oil drums could have 'decimated' the protected area if they had leaked. Mr Trewhella said the trash pile showed the callous attitude of some commercial vessels towards the delicate marine ecosystems

Worbarrow Bay, one mile from Tyneham village, is part of the Jurassic Coast, which has World Heritage Site status.The crescent-shaped bay, which is on Ministry of Defence land, is considered to be one of Britain's most beautiful beaches

Mr Trewhella added: 'Fishing boats show no regard for the environment, throwing debris into the sea rather than paying to have it safely disposed of at port.

'So long as this is allowed to continue, we can ban all the single use plastics we want, but it will have little impact on the world's oceans.

'Tighter regulations need to be in place to ensure ships and fishing vessels return to port with the objects they left it with, and that broken fish boxes, drums, boots, pallets and other items are not simply thrown into the sea once out of sight.

'These objects do not degrade, they often spend years at sea becoming potential homes to species that while interesting do not belong in our waters.'