SIX new A-frame boards have been designed and built especially for Dartmoor in a campaign to tackle the increasing litter problem.

The ranger team at Dartmoor National Park has recently joined forces with the local charity #2minutebeachclean to bring their global litter campaign inland.

Bude resident Martin Dorey started the movement a couple of years ago after becoming frustrated by the amount of litter on the South West’s beaches.

His aim was to encourage visitors and locals to take pride in their surroundings, raise awareness of the litter problem and be proactive in dealing with the detritus.

The solution was a very simple idea — place large A-frame boards with litterpickers at various beachside locations and ask people to take two minutes of their day to get involved and litter-pick the beach. Mr Dorey felt only asking for two minutes of time wasn’t a massive intrusion on people’s day but, with thousands visiting beaches, all those two minutes would add up.

The campaign has been running for a couple of years and is growing in success and fame, he said.

People from all over the world are now taking part in the #2minutebeachclean project and are posting their litter-picking pictures to social media sites to highlight the problem of litter on a worldwide scale.

Six new A-frame boards have been designed and built for Dartmoor and will be put out in strategic locations over most weekends and through the school holidays.

Litter-pickers and bags are provided with the boards.

They will be seen at litter hot-spot sites such as Meldon, Burrator Reservoir, Postbridge, Cadover, Spitchwick, Roborough Down, Haytor and Dartmeet.

Dartmoor National Park Ranger Andrea Roberts said: ‘This is the first time the campaign has been brought “inland”.

‘Dartmoor National Park Authority currently spends more than £20,000 a year disposing of recreational litter — this doesn’t include staff and volunteer time — such as left over picnic rubbish, disposable barbecues and camping remnants.

‘Not only is this rubbish unsightly, it is also a hazard to the beautiful wildlife and moorland animals that inhabit the national park.

‘This campaign is a positive way to encourage visitors, local communities and residents to help keep Dartmoor a special place, to play a small part in the active management of the moor and to be part of a bigger global movement, which is gathering pace day by day.’

The siting of the boards will be managed by the ranger team, supported by voluntary wardens and volunteers and countryside partners such as the National Trust and South West Lakes Trust.

The boards will be mobile and will also be used as part of organised events on the moor.

If you come across one of the boards, you can post pictures to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtags #2minutelitterpick and #lovedartmoor.