Kent beach turned into a litter-strewn health hazard

ITV Meridian's Tony Green says people heading to the beach this weekend are encouraged to take their litter home with them.

With another sunny weekend on the way, council leaders in Kent and Sussex are appealing to people to respect the seaside after visitors turned one Kent beach into a litter-strewn health hazard.Botany Bay near Broadstairs was left covered in rubbish and human excrement to the disgust of swimmers and environmental groups.

There's a council order in place to protect the beach and fine those who break the rules. But some don't think those powers are being used.

"We're hoping that people will come and have a fantastic day at one of the beaches in the South of England," said Friends of Botany Bay's Barry Manners.

"I do have a concern that there will be an anti-social minority and I do have a concern that the council will then again fail to uphold its responsibilities to maintain and manage the beach properly."

There's a council order in place to protect the beach and fine those who break the rules. Thanet District Council said it is trying.

"At the moment I've got an illegal encampment, four days now, and they are not being moved on," said Independent Cllr Alan Munns.

"The rubbish, and there's no toilets down there, so you can imagine where they're going to toilet and that's intimidating beachgoers at the moment. Beachgoers are steering well clear of that area."

There are people paid to pick up litter but they've a job on their hands.

"We've provided extra toilets over the past few years, so there is no excuse for it whatsoever," said Labour Cllr Stephen Albon.

"If we take the rave at Botany Bay, our teams went out on Tuesday and cleared the whole lot and it was disgusting to be quite honest."

Nina Jones from the Went Wildlife Trust says when beach litter gets washed out to sea, it's not just humans who suffer.

"It can be deadly. It's very very hard to remove litter or netting that's been tangled around a birds beak or legs."

"The same applies to seals and we actually have Kent's largest land haul-out site of seals and if they're ingesting plastic it's going to be very hard to deal with."

"Even if we see obviously signs of them being tangled in it, it can be very hard to rescue a seal and it could be deadly to them in the longterm."

Beaches across the South are bracing themselves for another busy weekend.

"We want people to come and enjoy our city and the seafront, but we just ask them to please, take their litter home with them," said Cllr Tim Rowkins, Cabinet member for the environment, Brighton & Hove City Council.

"Look around and take other litter that you see away. I always do it, my little boy loves doing a bit of litter picking, and really just do their bit to help keep the seafront clean."

When the sun comes out so do the beachgoers, but its hoped when they go home again, they'll take their rubbish with them.

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