'Could be a real problem' - Council working with environment agency after plastic pellets washed onto beach
Dog walkers have been told to keep their pets on leads after plastic pellets washed onto Littlehaven Beach.
Plastic pellets have flooded South Shields’ Littlehaven beach with South Tyneside Council issuing warnings to the public and dog walkers.
The pellets, known as nurdles, are thought to have been washed ashore following an incident on Sunday, July 19 which saw a crane collapse near Tyne Dock.
On the evening of Monday, July 20 South Tyneside Council issued a warning to anyone using Littlehaven Beach with ‘do not touch’ warnings placed along the promenade.
‘A real problem’
Dog walkers have been advised to keep their pets on leads, despite Littlehaven being the largest beach in the town not impacted by the annual dog beach bans, which run from the start of May until the end of September.
“It could be a real problem for owners” said Leslie Hickford, who was walking her spaniel on Tuesday morning with her partner, David.
David added: “Birds and other animals might get it into their digestive systems. Creatures might swallow them.”
Official warnings say the public should not pick up the pellets, which are used to make everyday plastic items. Usually less than 5 millimetres in diameter, they are classed as microplastics.
“I thought it was foam initially from a distance” added Tracey Steele, who was on the beach for the first coastal trip of the summer break for schools.
She continued: “Animals could eat it. It’s not nice and you don’t really know what it is.
“I’m used to this beach being full and it’s not.”
‘Our priority is protecting the coastline’
South Tyneside Council said they are working with the Environment Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Port of Tyne and other partner organisations to assess the potential environmental impact of the pellets.
A group campaigning to reduce the amount of nurdle spillages worldwide, The Great Nurdle Hunt, claim the pellets are the second largest source of primary microplastic pollution globally. It is estimated around 445,970 tonnes of nurdles enter the environment worldwide.
A statement from a Council spokesperson added: “Our priority is protecting the coastline, supporting the multi-agency response and minimising any impact on local wildlife and the wider environment.
"We are asking people not to handle the pellets and to keep dogs on leads in affected areas. We will continue to keep residents informed as more information becomes available."
‘It’s really frightening’
Jeff Beatey came to the beach on Tuesday to walk his dog Jasper.
Jeff Beatey, who went to the beach to walk his dog Jasper, told North News: "We noticed these white pellets so pulled the dog away and picked them up. They are quite hard.
"I thought it was maybe just ground down plastic at first, but as we came further along the beach we noticed how much of a mess it is.
"Everyone is keeping their dogs away from the water because they don't want them to eat any.
"Dogs could end up really ill, it's really frightening."
Another dog walker, Ian, who was walking his pets Poppy and Cara added: “I’ve been talking to a few owners up and down here.
“We just need to keep checking them.”