A YOUNG girl is on a mission to save the oceans - one piece of rubbish at a time.

Whilst most pre-teens are making TikTok videos, 12-year-old Ruby Merrick is braving cold winds on the coast with a litter picker.

Inspired by her late grandmother, Iris, who loved the sea, Ruby’s quest is simple - to save as much plastic and rubbish from getting into the ocean as possible.

“I started doing beach clean ups when I was nine,” Ruby said, “and now we go out as often as we can. Most weekends we are at a beach somewhere.

“I’ve watched loads of documentaries about the environment and the effect that rubbish, and plastic in particular, has on the ocean and wildlife.

“The plastic is so bad for the turtles and other marine life, they can get stuck in it and they can eat it without realising which can make them very unwell.”

Ruby, who has seven siblings, has the full support of her friends and family who accompany her to wherever is next on her list.

Karl Young, Ruby’s father, said: “I think it’s brilliant, we are so proud of Ruby.

“At first I thought it was a phase and she would forget about it, but here we are three years down the line and she still wants to go out every weekend to tidy up the beaches.

“Even her brothers and sisters get involved now. She has a heart of gold.”

Ruby added: “No matter where we go there is always loads of rubbish left behind and it’s sad because it shouldn’t be there. There are bins everywhere.

“I hope that anyone who reads this realises that if we can do it then they can too, if we all did it it would make a massive difference to the oceans, and the world.”

For more information, or to follow Ruby’s mission, follow irisoftheocean10 on Instagram.