With warmer weather upon us, more people have started to head towards the beach to enjoy our region's beautiful coastline.
Just last week, six North East beaches were once again named among the cleanest in Britain and received Blue Flag awards.
Tynemouth Longsands, King Edward's Bay and Whitley Bay beaches in North Tyneside were included in the list.
But have you ever wondered how the local authorities go about keeping these stretches clean?
North Tyneside Council has created a video, which you can watch above, to show people just how the job is done.
It says: "Every weekday morning, our team goes out with a special beach cleaning machine fitted with a surf rake.
"To ensure the beach is nice and clean before the first visitors arrive, all the rubbish is raked up and dropped into a skip.
"And our famous golden sands are left spotless and perfectly groomed.
"Our team can be out as early as 4am, clearing away everything from plastics, paper, glass, cans and cigarette butts, and working hard to make sure North Tyneside remains a great place to live, work and visit.
"Thank you for helping us look after our award-winning coastline."
Blue Flag beaches are recognised for their cleanliness, safety and for meeting the highest environmental standards, as well as the toughest international water quality standards.
The three North Tyneside beaches also received the Seaside Award, which recognises the highest standards of beach management in England.
Mayor Norma Redfearn said: "I couldn't be prouder to see our beaches receive these awards for yet another year and it’s fantastic news for residents and visitors alike.
"The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards signify that these beaches are absolutely first-class and that people can enjoy themselves in a clean, healthy, and safe environment.
"We have continued to invest heavily in our award-winning coastline over the years and I would like to thank all of our staff who work so hard to maintain such high standards and to those residents and visitors who take such good care of our coast."
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