Old and abandoned boats were pulled from the waters of Mullet Bay yesterday in an effort to clean up the once popular swimming hole.

The marine clean-up took place with Police divers, employees of Marine and Ports and Parks clearing out the area in St. George's.

It was organised by Marine and Ports boats and mooring section but joined by several Government departments including the department of conservation services, environmental protection and waste management.

The first clean-up happened last month at Mill Creek where ten boats were removed including commercial fishing and recreational craft, motor and sail boats, wooden boats and fibreglass boats.

A Government spokesman said they planned to pull up 20 boats and each would get a notice for the owner to claim it and get in contact with Marine and Ports to renew its license.

Organiser Deborah Moran, of Marine and Ports, said: "It's been something that we knew we needed to deal with and it was just a question of how because it takes a lot of manpower and resources.

"Fortunately, environmental protection also had an interest. They see all these boats lying around leaking fluid. They had a strong interest in it. We said we were fully aware and we want to do something about it.

"I have done a lot of the coordinating for it as far as getting trucks and trailers. Today we're focusing on the small boats.

"There's a few that are underwater. There's probably around 20 boats in Mullet Bay and probably seven are underwater."

UBP leader and local MP Kim Swan said he was pleased the bay was being cleaned-up.

"This clean-up is a result of the community. I am excited because I understand that this cross-ministry initiative but the initiative grew out of the community."