'Don't work alone' - Beach plastic clean up continues as Council ask public to not help
South Tyneside Council are advising the public to not assist with clean up activities on Littlehaven Beach after plastic pellets washed ashore.
The clean up operation is underway after plastic pellets were washed up on a South Shields beach, but local authorities are asking the public to not help at the moment.
On Monday, July 20 South Tyneside Council first responded to white plastic pellets, known as nurdles on Littlehaven beach.
It is thought the nurdles were washed onto shore after a spillage at the Port Of Tyne following an incident which saw a crane collapse and one person taken to hospital.
The local authority is working with the Port Of Tyne and Environment Agency to clear pellets from the beach, but maintain their ‘do not touch’ warning to the public who want to assist with clean up efforts.
A statement from the Council, posted to social media on the evening of Tuesday, July 22, reads: “We'd like to say a huge thank you to our Street Scene teams, who have been carrying out painstaking clean-up work on our coastline.
“Teams are working to clear areas affected by plastic pellets known as ‘nurdles’. These nurdles are washing up on sections of our beaches following a vessel collision in the River Tyne.
“Clean-up activity is being coordinated around tidal conditions, and more work is planned over the coming days.
“We know how much people care about our coastline and appreciate the offers of support to clean-up. We are looking at ways to organise volunteer clean-up sessions and will share more information on this soon.
“However, for now, we’re asking people not to undertake clean-up activities alone. Please wait for us to share more guidance on this and in the meantime, we are coordinating the next stages of the response. We'll continue to keep you updated as work progresses and more information becomes available.”
Signs around Littlehaven Beach tell the public to not touch the pellets while dog walkers are advised to keep their pets on leads.
South Tyneside Council has previously said it will look to recover the costs of the clean-up from the insurers of those responsible.
The pellets, around 5 millimetres in size, are considered a primary microplastic and are melted to make plastic products.