British tourists offered free pints of beer in Costa Blanca bars in exchange for picking up cigarette butts

A COSTA Blanca bar is offering tourists a free pint of beer in exchange for picking up cigarette butts from the local beach.

The campaign hopes to clear up the area from rubbish left behind by visitors.

A poster spotted at the Chiringuito Azul bar near Alicante offers anyone who brings a pint glass full of the butts collected from the beach a free pint in exchange.

A non-alcoholic drink is also offered in the deal, such as a soda for every pint glass.

The bar overlooks the Marineta Cassiana beach in Denia, which has previously been awarded Blue Flag status.

The poster explains: "For each glass full of cigarette butts collected on the beach we exchange it for a beer or soda".

According to The Olive Press, it is part of a campaign taken up by "chiringuitos", also known as bars, across Spain.

Bars in Andalucia and Murcia will also be take part in the scheme to reduce litter.

Many beaches in Spain have been covered in rubbish and plastic waste in recent months.

Environmentalists released a series of videos showing the small amounts of micro-plastics which have ended up in the sand, damaging the area as well ending up back in the sea and wildlife.

Three beaches popular with tourists in Spain were forced to close earlier this month following a spate of children being bitten by mystery fish.

A seven-year-old and a ten-year-old were taken to hospital for medical attention following the bites

A report earlier this year found Brits drinking £5 beach cocktails in Spain "contained human poo" due to the fruit being washed in public toilets.