“Shocking” amount of litter left on Margate Main Sands

Cllr Bob Bayford, Leader said: “We love to see people enjoying our beautiful sandy beaches but the mess that was left on Saturday was shocking and heartbreaking to see.

“Our street cleansing teams work incredibly hard, out in the district seven days a week from 6am to 8pm in the summer months. Margate Main Sands was spotless when people arrived on Saturday and was spotless again by 8:30am the next morning.

“There were a number of groups on the beach on Saturday and permission had been granted for a 500 person event, at the Nayland Rock end. Despite the provision of commercial bins and bags by the council as well as empty bins on the promenade, there was still a huge volume of litter left on the beach. As a result, we are reviewing CCTV footage to identify those responsible with a view to enforcement action and liaising with the event organiser.

“Anyone who visits our beaches has an obligation to leave the beach as they found it. It’s alarming that despite global awareness of the importance of protecting our natural environment, particularly from plastic waste, we are seeing a total lack of regard from some beach users. Sadly this issue is not unique to Margate and we have recently launched our Beauty of the Beach public education campaign in partnership with the Environment Agency and Southern Water highlighting the devastating impact of dropping litter.

“We are asking everyone who uses our beaches to help keep them clean and prevent litter ending up in the sea, causing damage to our natural environment, ocean and planet. Leave nothing but footprints is our message to everyone visiting our beaches this summer. Using the beach responsibly and making the choice to use another bin nearby or taking rubbish home makes a real difference.  There are no excuses for people to abdicate responsibility and leave their litter behind.”