A TEAM of National Lottery winners from across the South have been searching for plastic ‘treasure’ down on the beach.

Motivated by the work of the The 2 Minute Foundation to make a difference through simple acts, the band of winners, including Geoff and Judith Coombes from Southampton, volunteered to spend a morning scouring the coastline for tiny nurdles; colourful pea-sized plastic waste which can be devastating to marine animals.

In addition to the nurdle ‘treasures’, the millionaire litter-pickers collected waste, ranging from plastic water bottles and picnic debris, to ocean waste and old ropes on Shoreham beach.

The 2 Minute Foundation, which received £19,410 of National Lottery funding, aims to educate people across the country about the coastline, the creatures which inhabit it and what can be done to protect it.

Millioni pound winners and keen world travellers, Geoff and Judith, have spent plenty of time on the ocean but were happy to be on dry land to join the volunteer clean-up team.

Geoff told the Daily Echo: “Living on the coast and having enjoyed a number of cruises, looking after our seas is something close to our hearts.

“It’s rewarding to know that a few hours on the beach like this will have a difference, no matter how small, and I hope it will encourage others to ensure our beaches are kept clean so everyone can enjoy them to their full potential."