The beauty and diversity of our region's beaches is celebrated far and wide.

Bustling resort towns such as Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth boast inviting golden strands, while the often-deserted stretches of north Norfolk coast have an altogether different allure.

The beaches of Norfolk and Waveney draw thousands of visitors each year and are a major driver of the local economy.

And they are a haven for vegetation and wildlife, providing a home for species as diverse as the beach grasses of the Lowestoft dunes to the seal colonies at Blakeney Point.

MORE: Bin it! EDP reporters head to Norfolk coast to clear rubbish as amount of litter on beaches risesThe need to protect our beaches should be clear to everyone, which makes today's report about the increasing levels of litter left on them all the more startling.

The amount of rubbish found on our beaches has risen by a staggering 13pc nationally in just the past 12 months, damaging our landscape and posing a serious danger to marine wildlife. Luckily, this is one environmental issue that we can address with a couple of simple steps.

Take a rubbish bag along with you when you visit the beach so you have somewhere to put your waste instead of leaving it to spoil the environment.

And consider getting together with friends and family to take part in a 'Great British Clean' event organised by the Marine Conservation Society.

As a community, we all have a responsibility to keep our beaches clean and tidy.