The number of plastic bags found on beaches in the UK has almost halved thanks to the introduction of the 5p tax.

In 2015 there were 11 plastic bags for every 100 metres of coastline cleaned in the UK, according to The Marine Conservation Society.

But this year that number dropped to fewer than seven, a decrease of almost 40 per cent and the lowest of the past 10 years.

The charity began calling for action on single use carrier bags in shops back in 2008 and was instrumental in getting a levy introduced in Wales in 2011, Northern Ireland in 2013, Scotland in 2014 and England in October last year.

"In the last decade, our Great British Beach Clean volunteers have found an average of 10 single use carrier bags for every 100 metres of coastline cleaned," said the charity's beach watch manager Lauren Eyles.

"This year, for the first time since the charges were introduced, we've seen a significant drop in the number and that can only be as a result of the 5p charge which is now in place in all the home nations.

"It vindicates the charge, which we predicted would be good news for the marine environment. Thanks to our thousands of fantastic volunteers who collect beach litter data, we can now see the impact these charges have had."

Beaches in England and Northern Ireland saw the biggest drop in the number of plastic bags found during the September clean up - over half compared with 2015.

In Wales, where the charge has been in place for five years, the number - just under four bags for every 100 metres cleaned - is significantly lower than any other year since 2011. In Scotland, volunteers found, on average, one bag fewer over the same distance this year compared with last year.

The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment Show all 14 1 /14 The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment Lily Kember's work as a protester against airport expansion has united people from many different backgrounds DAN BURN-FORTI The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment Lily Kember's work as a protester against airport expansion has united people from many different backgrounds DAN BURN-FORTI The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment Since it set out 100 ethical commitments in its Plan A three years ago, M&S has walked the walk on green issues The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment The inventor James Dyson with the LED lights that he believes offer a better solution for our homes and offices DAVE YOUNG The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment Mark Constantine, the co-founder of Lush Cosmetics, with his beloved Brompton bicycle GEORGE WRIGHT The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment Tracey MacLeod with the chef Aldo Zilli, who has bravely turned his flagship restaurant into a meat-free zone DAN BURN-FORTI The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment The actress Greta Scacchi posed naked with a fishy friend to help raise awareness of the issues tackled in The End of the Line RANKIN/TRUNKARCHIVE.COM The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment The YHA has established a group of Green Beacon hostels that use 21st-century technology to environmental effect The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment Mohamed Nasheed, president of the Maldives, once staged a cabinet meeting underwater to highlight his low-lying nation's plight CHIARA GOIA The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment Common Ground celebrates local issues The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment The BMW Efficient Dynamics takes green motoring to a new level The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment The villagers of Coleshill in Oxfordshire have shown that people can think beyond the constraints of traditional buildings JAMIE HARRIS The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment Laura Bailey poses in her favourite Minna creation NICK HADDOW The Green Awards: Our experts celebrate those doing most to protect our fragile environment The actress Natalie Portman has maintained a level of privacy while supporting ethical and environmental causes Getty Images

The charity said there has been a drop of almost 4% in the amount of litter found on UK beaches between 2015 and 2016, with 6,000 volunteers collecting 268,384 items.

Beaches in Scotland saw a decrease of 18% in overall litter levels, rubbish in the North East of England dropped by 14% and in the Channel Islands by 10%. But there were increases in the amount of beach litter in the North West (24%), Wales and the South West (15%) and in Northern Ireland (9%).

Analysis of the data collected by volunteers also showed a rise of over 4% in the quantity of drinks containers found on the UK's beaches - including plastic bottles, bottle tops and aluminium cans.

There was also a 53% rise over the past year in the amount of balloon-related litter found on beaches.