Wildlife creatures in the North Sea are being turned into "living dustbins", says a study that has found virtually all dead seabirds have eaten marine litter.
Scientists measuring the amount of waste found in fulmars discovered 96 per cent of the gull-like birds had plastic fragments in their stomachs.
The figure wasalmost double the percentage of fulmars found in the early 1980s with such waste inside.
Environmental groups - who are backing a bid by a member of the Scottish Parliament to introduce a levy on plastic bags in shops in Scotland - branded the figures "truly shocking".
Fragments of plastic showed up in 367 of the 382 birds analysed. The fulmars were found dead between 1982 and 2001.
Ropes, nets, polystyrene, nylon, foam, boxes, toys, tools, toothbrushes, lighters, cigarettes and rubber were also found in fulmar stomachs.
Dan Barlow, from Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "From this research we now know that, due to irresponsible actions, marine animals around Scotland's coast are being turned into living dustbins."
