Warning after thousands of nails found on North East beach

Thousands of nails have been found on a Tynemouth beach.

Swimmer Mallory Smith was about to enjoy an early morning dip in King Edward's Bay when she was alerted by other swimmers who were finding handfuls of nails in the sand. She said eventually they found 'masses' of them.

She told ITV Tyne Tees it was 'distressing' and 'very annoying' and that it made her angry.

She wrote a children's book about the dangers of plastic and rubbish and how it can affect the environment and wildlife - encouraged to do so after she spent many mornings cleaning up rubbish left by visitors.

She, along with other members of the community, have thanked volunteers who came to help clear up the metal, including some who used metal detectors to try and find the remaining nails in the sand.

People heading to the beach over the next few days are being warned to be extra careful.

Sam Dand, Director of Environment at North Tyneside Council, said:

“Like our residents, we are shocked and appalled by this incident.

"We would like to thank those who spent time cleaning up the beach on Sunday morning.

"We clean the beaches every day throughout the summer months, and we also have specialist equipment to rake and sieve the sand to remove smaller pieces of debris.  

"Our seasonal teams have been alerted to the incident and are increasing patrols in this area to help keep it safe and clean for users."

The incident has been reported to Northumbria Police who say they have reported the findings to the council and their enquiries are ongoing.