A FREEDIVING world champion is using her skills to help clean up international reefs and dive sites.

Sara Campbell, 36, from Burnham, joined 22 scuba divers to remove rubbish from the red sea from her base in Dahab, Egypt.

She said: “I've always had a close connection with the environment, and am delighted that I can use my diving to reach a wider audience to help protect not only the Red Sea, but all water environments.

“We brought up around 30 kilos of rubbish - mainly glass, cans, plastic wrappers and fishing lines.

“The amount of waste that ends up in the sea is shocking - it not only looks horrible, but it destroys the reefs and particularly in the case of fishing lines and nets, can create the most awful devastation to the wildlife.”

Sara has also been working with a British environmental group - the BLUE Climate and Oceans Project - and is set to appear on a new broadband television channel - The Underwater Channel - live in March.

Sara, who becgan competitive freediving in April 2007 has already set eleven national and three world records. She also has a world championship gold.