Council says it has ramped up beach cleaning hours

The council said it knows there is going to be more litter in the summer as more people use the beach

A council has said it ramped up its street and beach cleaning hours by 35% to tackle an increase in litter during the summer.

Thanet District Council said it put more than 400 staff hours into cleaning every day this summer as additional people were using the beach.

Council leader Rick Everitt said: "We are constrained by budget, so we do have to be smart about staffing."

He added that coastal enforcement officers also focus on educating beach users "providing them with litter sacks and encouraging them to take their waste away".

In a letter to residents ahead of the Bank Holiday, Mr Everitt addressed concerns about bins no longer being on the beach.

"We haven’t had bins on the beaches for years and we know that if we do, and people leave their rubbish next to them, the seagulls have a field day and we end up with even more litter on the sand.

"On a practical note, it’s more efficient to be able to empty bins that are near the side of the road than it is to have staff dragging bins across the sand and up steps – it also has health and safety implications."

The council leader also explained that dog waste could be put in general waste bins.

"Leaving a bag of poo where a bin used to be, isn’t going to get a bin reinstated, it just makes the place look untidy."