Litter warning after thousands visit Skegness beach
John ByfordThe Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) has warned of the dangers of littering after it said it saw "people throwing litter into the dunes" at a beach over the weekend.
In a social media post on Saturday RNLI Lifeguards Lincolnshire criticised the "sad state" of Skegness beach after rubbish was left on the sand.
On the longest day and the hottest of the year so far, it said it was "abnormally busy" with over 5,000 visitors.
Arun Gray, Lifeguard Supervisor, said littering posed a health and safety risk to lifeguards who patrolled the beach to keep swimmers safe, potentially restricting their abilities by causing injury or distraction.
RNLI Lifeguards LincolnshireMr Gray said: "It was possibly the busiest I've seen Skegness beach in the 17 years I have worked for the RNLI.
"Similar visitor numbers are only usually noticed during peak season, in August time."
In addition to restricting the lifeguards in their duties he said the litter could cause injury and illness to beach visitors, create environmental issues affecting wildlife and could also become a fire hazard.
His message to people visiting the beach was to either place any litter in the bins provided or take it home.
Mr Gray said that in the past they had treated casualties who had suffered cuts from standing on litter and burns from standing on disposable barbecues.
He added: "I would like to praise the local council for raking the beach the following morning to remove the majority of the litter that was left on the sand to return it to its previous state before any visitors arrived on Sunday."
In a separate post, social media user John Byford highlighted that there was nowhere to put the litter by the evening.
He said: "On a beautiful evening here in Skegness, and most bins are overflowing!"
He added: "Skegness deserves better."
The BBC has contacted East Lindsey District Council for comment.
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