Festive beachgoers have been urged to play their part in keeping Bermuda’s coast trash-free.

The call came as a team of community-minded businesses and volunteers prepared to help people celebrate the holiday tomorrow without leaving a trail of debris.

The Christmas Day party at Elbow Beach, in Paget, is expected to see visitors in Santa hats meet family and friends to enjoy the contents of their coolers.

Beachgoers have been offered parking by Coral Beach and Tennis Club on the Horizons property and they will be assisted by St Paul’s Anglican Church volunteers.

Police announced that a Community Action Team would be on hand to direct traffic.

A police spokesman warned that vehicles parked illegally on South Road have caused delays and traffic hazards in the past, adding: “We are asking for the motoring public not to block residents’ driveways and entrances to businesses.”

He wished the public a safe holiday on behalf of Stephen Corbishley, the Commissioner, as well as the staff of the Bermuda Police Service.

Keep Bermuda Beautiful pointed out yesterday it does not host the event but will provide dozens of extra trash bins on the beach as well as in the parking lot to dispose of picnic debris.

On Boxing Day, KBB volunteers will return to the beach to carry the bagged trash and bins up to the parking lot.

Members of the public were invited to join the clean-up from 10am until noon. The charity said there was 2,000lbs of trash from the same event in 2017, when all glass bottles and metal cans were successfully separated for recycling.

A waste collection team from the Department of Parks will remove the bags of trash so that as quickly as possible the beach can be clean for the rest of the holiday period. Beach visitors were urged to bring an extra trash and recycling bag from home and do their part to keep the islands’ beaches litter-free.

Anne Hyde, the KBB executive director, said: “Christmas Day at Elbow is the closest thing we have to a Leave No Trace event. “I am so happy that this crowd is respectful of their surroundings and, when there are plenty of bins, no one litters. KBB would like to thank its community partners who have come together to provide all the ingredients for a clean and safe party.”