Recycled beach boardwalk 'will improve access'

The boardwalk's slats were made from hard-to-recycle soft plastics like used crisp packets and bread bags

A new boardwalk on a Devon beach made from recycled plastic will improve accessibility, according to a local landscape association.

South Devon National Landscape (SDNL) said the boardwalk at Blackpool Sands, near Dartmouth, would improve access for "people of all ages and abilities".

Ivybridge-based The Plastic Company made the slats out of almost 10 tonnes of hard-to-recycle soft plastic waste such as crisp packets and bread bags, SDNL said.

Geoffrey Newman, of Blackpool Sands, said: "Now that the boardwalk has been laid it is evident that people are taking full advantage of this easy-access path to visit parts of the beach they were unable to reach in the past.

The boardwalk is the first recycled one in the South Devon National Landscape and was part-funded by DEFRA's Access for All fund, which aims to make protected landscapes "more accessible for people of all ages, abilities and needs".

Roger English, SDNL manager said the boardwalk was "exactly what the funding is meant for" and would allow all visitors to "benefit from the full beauty and tranquillity of Blackpool Sands".

The boardwalk will be officially opened at 14:00 BST.