Plastic pollution affecting animals at an all time high
The number of animals affected by plastic litter is at an all-time high, with incidents in the West Midlands increasing by 28% in four years and 22% in the East Midlands.
Water birds are particularly affected.
RSPCA figures today reveal the extent of harm to animals caused by plastic litter.
In the West Midlands incidents have increased by 28% in four years, and in the East Midlands by 22%.
Animals who live in the water are most affected.
It comes just days after this image emerged of a great crested grebe offering a piece of plastic to its mate, at a lake near Clay Cross, south of Chesterfield.
Grebes are well known for their mating rituals but instead of collecting a piece of weed or plant to offer its loved one, this grebe dived down and came back with some discarded plastic.
In Nottinghamshire in November a pregnant deer was found dead by the side of the road with its head trapped inside a plastic bag. It's thought it had been unable to see and wandered into the road where it was hit by a car.
Across all species, of the 4579 incidents in 2018 which involved any types of litter, 3228 were from angling litter and 1,351 general litter.