New research has revealed the British beaches with the worst litter problems – with daytrippers reporting some of their shocking finds during trips to the seaside, including human waste, drug paraphernalia and broken glass.
With the school holidays about to begin in earnest – and the warm weather set to continue – thousands of tourists are set to make for Britain’s coastline.
Plastic waste experts at BusinessWaste.co.uk have released data based on TripAdvisor reviews naming and shaming British sands where you’re likely to encounter other people’s waste.
Topping the list is bucket-and-spade resort Skegness on the Lincolnshire, with one of the worst reviews, posted in June this year, reporting grim accounts of ‘human waste and serviettes covered in faeces’ being left on the sands.
The research found that 4.91 per cent of reviews on TripAdvisor – 63 reviews out of a total of 994 – about the traditional seaside resort raised complaints about litter.
While many said they’d had a brilliant day out on the custard-coloured sands that have been attracting beach-goers since Victorian times, others described the resort as ‘dirty and run down’.
One person said their children had pulled litter – including cups, straws and even clothing, out of the sand while they were playing.
Other British seaside destinations claiming the top spots when it comes to litter were Margate’s Main Sands.
Peak season equals pick litter on Britain’s beaches, with new research suggesting that daytrippers to Skegness in Lincolnshire are the worst offenders when it comes to leaving waste behind
Margate may be trendier than ever but its beach has a major litter problem, with 50 out of 851 TripAdvisor reviews mentioning litter, the research by Businesswaste.co.uk found
The trendy Kent seaside town has enjoyed new popularity in recent decades but 50 out of 851 (4.4 per cent) of reviews on TripAdvisor alluded to problem with litter.
Broken glass, human urine and dog poo were all spotted by those heading for a day out.
And in at number three was Formby Beach in Merseyside. One recent visitor in May this year said a sunny day in May had seen the beach already ‘full of litter’ by 10:30am after day-trippers flocked to the popular sands.
Food waste and disposable BBQs left on the beach were mentioned, with one person saying they’d even seen drug paraphernalia. 3.83 per cent of reviews mentioned litter, 39 out of the 731 reviews.
Whitmore Bay Beach on Barry Island, made famous by BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey was amongst others that made the top ten worst beaches for litter, with Blackpool Beach, Bournemouth Beach, Scarborough Beach, Weston-Super-Mare Beach, Botany Bay and Clacton-on-Sea all mentioned.
At the other end of the spectrum, there were 15 UK beaches that had zero reviews mentioning litter issues.
Four of them had over 1,000 reviews, reflecting how pristine they are, with Suffolk favourite Southwold Pier, Sandsend Beach in North Yorkshire, Horsey Beach in Norfolk, and Luskentyre Beach on the Isle of Harris in Scotland all faring well.
Graham Matthews, plastic waste expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk: ‘Litter on the UK’s beaches turns our natural beauty spots into an eyesore and poses a huge environmental threat to marine life.
Barry Island’s Whitmore Bay Beach, famous for its appearances in Gavin and Stacey, also made the worst ten beaches for litter. Right: Stock image of beach litter
15 beaches were found to have zero mention of litter in any of the reviews on TripAdvisor, including Porthcurno beach in Cornwall
‘Each year, as the weather heats up, we see a sharp rise in people flocking to the seaside, but sadly, many don’t clean up after themselves.
‘All this unsightly litter ruins the enjoyment of our beaches, but it also threatens local wildlife. Plastic is a particularly major hazard as it takes so long to break down naturally.’
He called for simple measures to help beach communities and day trippers keep litter at bay, saying: ‘Simple provisions like signage, employing local volunteers, and providing litter picking equipment for the public can make a huge difference.
‘Outside of this, the best deterrent is to issue fines to those who continue to litter our natural beauty spots.’
Yesterday at pebbly Kent beauty spot Deal, King Charles rolled up his sleeves and grabbed a litter picker as he joined volunteers for a community beach clean-up.
The monarch, 76, dressed in a smart light brown summer suit, was seen collecting rubbish along the shoreline as part of an event organised by local environmental group Deal With It.
