Residents rage over litter left strewn on beach
CHILDREN playing among empty bottles, food cartons and discarded cans – that was the scene as a mountain of rubbish was left on Barry Island beach earlier this week.
As temperatures rose to above 30°C on Monday and Tuesday, hundreds of people flocked to Barry Island to enjoy the sea, sand and sunshine on the hottest days of the year.
But local residents have been left furious after large piles of rubbish were left on the shoreline.
A number of pictures and videos showing the extent of the leftover rubbish have been posted on social media – with many users branding the litter a disgrace, irresponsible and “gross”.
O’Shea’s Fish and Chip Shop, on the island, was one of the local businesses that captured images showing the state of the beach, and staff said they were “horrified”.
Owner Craig O’Shea said: “I was horrified by what I saw, and embarrassed. We have so many foreign visitors to Barry Island these days I dread to think what they must have thought.
“The lack of response by the council has been disappointing.”
Writing on her blog, Family Days Tried and Tested , Deborah Hitchins, from Newport, also described the litter as “utterly disgusting, shameful and sadly not necessary”.
She said: “Barry beach in South Wales is lovely, it’s undergone a regeneration programme over the past few years and has oodles to offer. The beach was packed today and the utter disregard that sunseekers took to it was just awful. Myself and the 11-year-old walked twenty paces, twenty, and picked up what we could. It really was shocking. Where’s the respect?”
Two young litter-pickers were spotted among a number of other residents voluntarily picking up piles of rubbish left on the beach.
Staff at O’Shea’s Fish and Chip Shop said the girls – whose names are not known – decided to tackle the problem themselves.
Craig O’Shea added: “The two girls who started the clean-up should be congratulated.”
Neil Moore, leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “It’s a disgrace that some visitors to the island treat it so badly.
“There are over 100 bins which are regularly emptied, so there really is no excuse for littering.”