‘Shocking’ 1940s and 50s litter found on west Dorset beaches

Other items found include a Cooltan sun cream tube, an Odorono deodorant bottle and a Quix washing-up liquid bottle – all believed to date back to the 1950s and 60s.

Taylor uses reverse image searches, AI and archive material to help trace the origins of unusual or old-looking items.

He said: “It’s quite interesting. Things like the deodorant bottle, you can find adverts and archive photos. With the washing-up bottle, the brand only lasted a limited time.

“The sun tan lotion was found by a metal detectorist. Cooltan was made in Brixton in the 1950s, then they closed after that, so it’s been on Weymouth beach all that time.”

The oldest items Taylor has found are glass bottles dating back to Victorian times.

During its five-year history, the marine litter project has saved more than 20 tonnes of waste from the sea.

Its carries out litter picking and organises projects such as fishing gear and crabbing line recycling, a library of discarded beach toys, as well as by recycling washed-up nets, rope and rigid plastics.