UK tourist fined for stealing beach sand

A BRITISH tourist has been fined nearly £1,000 for taking sand from a beach in Sardinia as the island wages a campaign against visitors denuding its picturesque bays.

In a trend condemned by Sardinian politicians and environmentalists, some visitors are making a habit of packing plastic bottles and bags with different coloured sand from the beaches.

The authorities say that while it may appear harmless, the phenomenon is so common that it is threatening the coastal environment.

Last year Italian customs officers intercepted around five tons of sand that had been pilfered by tourists.

In the latest case, the unnamed 40-year-old tourist, a British citizen of Italian origin, was caught by police in possession of a plastic bottle packed with sand taken from a beach near Olbia, a city in the north-east of the island.

Such is the problem that the German embassy in Rome has published advice to its citizens not to take the sand when visiting the island. “Sardinia has some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy, but taking sand, pebbles and shells constitutes a serious environmental problem. It is forbidden by law. You can be fined from 500 to 3,000 euros. Leave the sand where it should be,” the embassy wrote on Facebook.

WWF, the environmental organisation, has launched a campaign against

‘Taking sand, pebbles and shells constitutes a serious environmental problem. It is forbidden by law’

the practice under the slogan “Beach thieves – taking sand is theft”.

Customs officials at Sardinia’s international airports, including Cagliari and Alghero, regularly check tourists’ luggage for sand. It is the variety of sand that appears to be tempting, with some beaches boasting silky white sand. In the north-east, the beaches of the Maddalena archipelago have attractive sands, with the island of Budelli famous for sands of a pink hue.