Blackpool and Formby beaches left covered in rubbish as crowds flock there on weekend

Dozens of visitors flocked to beaches this weekend, leaving various beauty spots across the North West covered in litter. 

Formby beach was left covered in discarded bottles, BBQs, bags of litter and even inflatable pools.

The community group, Plastic Free Formby, has described the beauty spot as resembling ‘the morning after Glastonbury’.

The group, and many other social media users, shared their mutual disgust and upset at people’s lack of respect for the area.

Many larger objects like coolers and chairs were left abandoned, alongside plastic bags, bottles, laughing gas canisters and food cartons.

In recent days the police have reported many cases of excessive littering, fires and BBQs being lit in public places such as beaches, as lockdown is lifted slightly.

They’ve also reported illegal parking, which inconsiderately blocks driveways and residential roads near the beauty spots. 

A spokesman for Sefton Council said: “Our beaches are tempting but they are not able to cope with high level of visitors at the moment.”

They continued: “We understand that some lockdown measures have been eased nationally but that does not mean that we are through the worst of this and as ever, the health and safety of our communities comes first.

“For those few who do visit our coastline at this dangerous time, they are advised that stringent parking restrictions are in place, all rubbish must be taken home and BBQs are strictly prohibited along the entirety of the Sefton coastline.

“At this time we need people to think about their safety and the safety of others, as well as the wellbeing of our communities and Council staff.”

Blackpool was also covered in an ‘appalling amount’ of broken bottles, cans and plastic bags, reports one resident.

She told The Blackpool Gazette: “It fills me with anger and sadness that there are NHS and key workers still risking their lives during this tragic pandemic, while others can’t even be bothered to do something simple like take their rubbish home – never mind follow the current guidance regarding only two people meeting outside.

“There were smashed bottles among the debris which are a danger for people wanting to use the prom/beach today so I’ve reported the rubbish to the council using their online form this morning.”

Blackpool Council said it was a ‘real disappointment’ seeing litter on the beaches when they had been working with Keep Britain Tidy, local residents, businesses and visitors to reduce the amount of litter in Blackpool.

There is also a dedicated team of staff and community volunteers who play an active part in keeping the town clean, but the rubbish left from beachgoers is becoming an escalating problem. 

“For those few who do visit our coastline at this dangerous time, they are advised that stringent parking restrictions are in place, all rubbish must be taken home and BBQs are strictly prohibited along the entirety of the Sefton coastline.