waste collected during last year's event.

And if it does, it could be likely that Bermuda will once again be among the dirtiest nations taking part in the worldwide scheme.

So far Saturday's Keep Bermuda Beautiful Coastal and Marine Clean-up day has weighed in with over 12 tonnes of trash -- and officials expect the total to rise as further rubbish comes in.

Project leader Lennox Boodram said there was still the waste from four sites to collect and he expected the final total to surpass the 14 tonnes picked during 1997's clean-up.

Last year that tonnage ranked Bermuda as the 12th highest country out of 91 participating nations in terms of volume of rubbish collected.

This year around 300 volunteers -- including divers, snorkellers, walkers and politicians -- braved the wind and rain to help with the clean-up at several locations around the Island.

Premier Pamela Gordon did her bit in Southampton and PLP Leader Jennifer Smith turned out in St. George's.

"We were really happy with the results,'' said Mr. Boodram. "We got good support considering the rain.'' Some of the more interesting items collected from nine miles of coastline included a 30-foot telegraph pole and a suitcase full of books and clothes, together with metal, bottles, and plastics.

Once the trash has been weighed and logged it will be taken for incineration at Tynes Bay or will be recycled.

The information collected will then to sent to the Centre for Marine Conservation in Washington DC, where it will form part of a worldwide report of the 91 countries taking part in the clean-up.

Meanwhile, Bermuda is taking part in a "rubbish exercise'' with Haiti to see if trash from the West Indies makes it as far north as here. Officials in Bermuda are on the look out for special bottles which are found in the water, of a type only found in Haiti, to see if rubbish travels in Bermuda's direction.