A West End sea clean up carried out as penance by a man caught dumping trash bags in a bay was a success, an environmental charity said yesterday.

Jonathan Hodgkins, 19, offered to lead a clean up of Mangrove Bay after he was caught on film throwing waste bags off his boat at the traditional end of Cup Match raft-up at the bay on August 5.

Mr Hodgkins later told The Royal Gazette he was ashamed when he saw a video clip of him dropping two bags of trash over the side of his family’s boat.

The teenager said he had acted in panic after a fight broke out and people began breaking bottles.

The vessel, Sin Bin, was joined by three other support boats on Sunday.

Anne Hyde, executive director of Keep Bermuda Beautiful, said Mr Hodgkins had been fined $200 for littering.

She said: “In addition, he has voluntarily made donations of his time and of his money to Keep Bermuda Beautiful.”

The afternoon’s work amassed 350 pounds of waste.

Ms Hyde added: “He intends to do another beach clean up before he goes off to university in September and has pledged to volunteer for KBB again when he is back on the island for the Christmas holiday.

“I think he has learnt more about environmental issues in one week than most people learn in a decade.

“He made a foolish mistake, broke the law, was publicly shamed ,and seems very remorseful.

“Sunday was his opportunity to turn the lemons into lemonade and make something positive happen following the out-of-control situation that occurred the week before.

She said: “I am confident that this young person has learnt his lesson and will now be able to get on with his life as a law-abiding citizen.”

A total of 17 volunteers, including two divers, turned out for the clean up.

Ms Hyde said the volunteers went up to the islands off King’s Point at Mangrove Bay in Sandys.

The team collected nine blue bags of bottles and recyclables, nine black bags of trash, as well as bulky items like tyres, pipes and a beach chair.