We have been enjoying some gloriously sunny days here in the UK, and this of course means plenty of days out to the seaside.
Unfortunately, many beachgoers have shown little thought for the environment after their day of summertime fun, leaving behind beer bottles, plastic waste and even items of clothing.
Images have emerged on social media which show some of Britain’s most iconic beaches – Margate, Redcar and Blackpool – strewn with all sorts of litter.
As a result, the sandy beaches were left looking like rubbish dumps. Unfit for children to play on, and causing grave concerns for the environment.
Infuriated locals have taken to social media to advise tourists to stay away from the beaches completely if they can’t be trusted not to litter.
One frustrated man tweeted:
Redcar beach looking just fine after the heatwave… NOT!
Something as simple as taking your own crap home with you is beyond some people.
A Margate based blogger wrote:
Fancy a day at the beach this summer? Please do your bit and clean up after yourself. It’s not other people’s (or the council’s) responsibility.
Our beaches are beautiful. Don’t turn them into dumping grounds.
Emily Parr, from North West campaign group Love My Beach, told UNILAD about her disappointment at the state of Blackpool Beach:
It’s extremely disappointing to see the amount of litter left behind by visitors to Blackpool beach.
‘Leave nothing but footprints’ is our message to everyone visiting the beach. Bin your litter or take it home!
Love My Beach campaigners work to keep beaches and bathing areas in the North West clean, encouraging people to get out and lend a hand. Improvements have been seen in recent years, however these recent grim images demonstrate greater awareness is needed.
As reported by the Blackpool Gazette, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council, Gillian Campbell, said:
This picture is just awful and no way reflects how our beaches normally look. This picture doesn’t show a lack of bins or a lack of street cleaning staff. It shows a society where people think they can leave their litter and someone else will clean it up for them.
They haven’t even attempted to take their waste off the beach and put it in one of the 250 bins that line the Promenade, bins that were getting emptied regularly during the 15 hour shift our staff worked yesterday.
It’s disgusting behaviour. Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated teams the beach and Promenade were once again immaculate first thing this morning.
Campbell added:
Blackpool has a fantastic community of volunteers and local businesses that support our Keep Blackpool Tidy campaign.
All of our beaches have Seaside Awards and we work to keep them clean and safe for everyone to enjoy. But it’s down to the public to their bit as well. It is a simple message – don’t litter.
There are few things more life-affirming than sharing a greasy platter of fish and chips on the beach, followed by a dollop of rapidly melting ice cream. However, making the most of a summer day doesn’t entitle you to be selfish.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.