'Specialist advice' sought on Lynemouth beach waste

Pipes and cables have been found on Lynemouth beach after erosion at a former landfill site

Specialist advice is being sought on how to deal with pollution on a Northumberland beach.

Old mining pipes, cables and machinery have been littering the beach at Lynemouth after the cliffs at an old colliery landfill site became eroded.

Northumberland County Council had said the prospect of being able to excavate and remove the waste from sight was "very, very slim" due to high costs.

But it has now confirmed it is seeking expert advice on the best way forward.

Items dumped at the site many years ago are now visible

A meeting of the Castle Morpeth Local Area Council was told the authority will continue to monitor the site and carry out regular beach cleans, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Glen Sanderson, the cabinet member for the environment, said: "We're not sure how toxic some of the material is, but it's clearly unacceptable.

"It could be very expensive, but once we have some options, I will seek a meeting with the Environment Secretary and [local MP] Anne-Marie Trevelyan to try to find some funding."