Covid: PPE litterers in Cornwall face £150 fines

Cornwall Council has had "lots of reports" of PPE being discarded on beaches

People in Cornwall who do not dispose of personal protective equipment (PPE) properly face a £150 fine for littering, Cornwall Council has warned.

The authority said it had received "lots of reports about PPE being discarded on streets, beaches, green spaces and walkways" in recent months.

Councillors warned discarded items "pose a risk" to others who come into contact with them.

Used disposables should be put in bins or taken home, they added.

Rob Nolan, council portfolio holder for environment and public protection, said: "We take great pride in keeping Cornwall clean and will not hesitate to issue fixed penalty notices against those caught discarding litter."

A report in the Environmental Science and Technology journal in 2020 estimated 194 billion disposable face masks and gloves were being used every month worldwide.

Cornwall-based environment charity Surfers Against Sewage said it had seen an "explosion" of discarded masks and plastics on beaches and in rivers in the UK.