Over 11 tonnes of litter picked up at Weston-super-Mare seafront following bank holiday

Rubbish in Weston-super-Mare
There was over 11 tonnes of litter picked up in Weston-super-Mare over two days. Credit: Nicholas Hayman.

Litter pickers collected 11 tonnes of rubbish from Weston-super-Mare over two days following the bank holiday weekend as thousands enjoyed the warm weather.

The level of litter in Weston-super-Mare soared by a massive 300% over the weekend, with the local authority saying it exceeded their own expectations.

North Somerset Council said they had expected a rise of around 25% but had not anticipated the huge increase.

On Bank Holiday Monday crews collected five tonnes of litter and then collected six tonnes the following day.

Previously on busy days, the council would expect to collect around two tonnes of litter from the seafront area.

Council officers said that they were not completely prepared for the increase in the amount of rubbish over the weekend.

North Somerset Council deputy leader Councillor Mike Bell said: “Weston-super-Mare has been busy over the Bank Holiday weekend and this week and it has been great to see.

“But we have also seen real challenges around litter on the seafront and around the town centre.

“Although the council did anticipate increased demand and put in extra bins and more staff, these were unprecedented amounts and the extra resources didn't prove enough.

"Unfortunately, due to the high volumes of people in and around the seafront it was also more difficult to empty the big wheelie bins as it wasn't easy or sometimes even safe to get trucks down the prom to empty them," he continued.


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