Pebbles 'thief' forced to drive hundreds of miles to avoid £1,000 fine

Taking stones from a beach might seem like an innocent activity but it almost cost one holidaymaker a four-figure sum.

A visitor to the pebble beach at Crackington Haven, Cornwall, took a bag of stones as a souvenir from his trip to the destination.

The tourist had unwittingly committed a crime, as it is illegal to take stones from the area due to the 1949 Coastal Protection Act as the pebbles prevent erosion.

Officials from St Gennys Parish Council, who put red and yellow signs up in July to warn that stone thieves could be prosecuted, hunted down the naive visitor to his home, informing him if the stones were not returned, then a £1,000 fine would be imposed.

Upon hearing the cost of his stone collection, the man in question drove hundreds of miles from where he lives in order to put the pebbles back in their rightful place and therefore avoid castigation in the process.

The area has suffered from flooding in the past and by stopping the theft of stones, officials hope they can avoid similar situations in the future.

Locals and those who use the beach have complained about the garish warning signs, saying they ruin the natural beauty of the area, resulting in the council taking two of them down.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: "It may seem harmless, but given the many thousands of visitors to Cornwall's beaches every year every stone removed could have an impact on coastal erosion, natural flood defences and wildlife habitats".