BBC show Poldark has been accused of flooding some of Britain's most picturesque beaches with litter.
The Beeb historical drama has a cult following and has inspired a wave of visitors to its filming locations in Cornwall.
But grumbling residents say the tourism drive described as the 'Poldark-effect' has encouraged a host of unwelcome problems with trash.
BBC show Poldark has been accused of flooding some of Britain's most picturesque beaches with litter. Pictured, members of the St Austell Tidy Up team including Councillor James Mustoe (centre with high-vis jacket and blue jumper)
Much of Poldark is filmed in seaside town of St Austell and James Mustoe, who is councillor in the area, leads a volunteer tidy-up team, the St Austell Tidy Up Team.
Cornish councillor James Mustoe described the bout of over-tourism as a 'huge strain' on the county's beaches which he claims are now plastered in rubbish.
He said: 'The so-called Poldark effect means people flood the iconic historical locations made famous in the hit BBC show, and leave all their rubbish behind in the process.
'With this massive increase in tourism comes huge strain on our infrastructure, along with an overload in littering, on our highways, on our beaches and in our seas.
'I have lost count of the number of times I have visited the beach, stayed for the day and on leaving found the sands look like some sort of battlefield.'
He added: 'Things clearly need to change.'
Mr Mustoe, who is councillor for Mevagissey, now leads a volunteer tidy-up team in seaside town St Austell - where much of Poldark was filmed. Littered discovered by the tidy up team is pictured
Various locations in St Austell are used for filming such as Charlestown beach and slipway, which doubles as St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly.
Many other locations around Cornwall double up as sets for Poldark.
Abandoned buildings at Botallack are used as the Poldark family mines of Wheal Leisure.
Some of Poldark's horserides along clifftops were filmed on the cliffs of Chapel Porth.
The beautiful stretch of coast owned by the Warleggan family in series 2 is represented by Holywell
