Tynemouth beach litter prompts alcohol ban petition

The bins are overflowing and people leave litter and broken glass on the beach

Nearly 5,000 people have signed a petition calling for an alcohol ban on North Tyneside's beaches following a spate of littering and disorder.

Large amounts of rubbish were left behind by visitors enjoying the sun on Longsands Beach on Thursday.

Footage was also shared on social media of people fighting at King Edward's Bay.

Eight men were arrested following reports of excessive drinking and fighting, Northumbria Police said.

The petition, started by local residents, states: "In light of today's violence, and ongoing public disturbance and littering, we request an enforced ban of alcohol consumption on all North Tyneside beaches."

Residents "look forward to cloudy days"

A clean-up was held on Friday after empty beer cans, broken glass and dirty nappies were found strewn across Tynemouth's beaches, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Residents Joan Hewitt and Mark Husmann carry out daily beach cleans and said they had filled six bin bags in one hour on Wednesday evening with rubbish from the beach.

Ms Hewitt said she had "every sympathy for the council" but asked "why of all days yesterday was there no collection?".

North Tyneside councillors said the authority was tackling litter and warned rule breakers would be punished.

"We always bring in extra resources during peak season and our staff work incredibly hard to keep our coastline clean and tidy," councillor Carl Johnson, said.

"We recently added 59 temporary bins along the coast and on the beaches, in addition to the 220 bins we already have, and we empty these on average 8-10 times a day."