Huge amount of plastic waste, a wheel, and a pram among items collected from beaches in South Tyneside coastline clean-up

Around 20 volunteers braved the rain to take part in the event along South Shields seafront on Sunday, October 13.

The group, including five children, collected numerous bags of rubbish, including large chunks of plastic, a wheel and a discarded pram.

However, it was the amount of smaller fragments of plastic – which has the potential to do serious harm to the environment and sea creatures – that caused the most concern.

The beach clean was organised by Councillor Glenn Thompson, the Brexit Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the South Shields constituency in a bid to maintain and make the most of the South Shields’ ‘natural gift’.

Coun Thompson said: “We have an amazing campaign team in South Shields and have been holding events all over the town recently and close to all our hearts is our amazing coastline.

“As a group we are constantly talking about issues in the town and this kept coming up, so we felt we had to do our bit.”

He continued: “One of the problems with the town is that we have lost a lot of our industry, but we have got this natural gift in the coastline and everybody feels that more needs to be done.

“It brings business into the town but it would bring a lot more if it was better maintained. It could be massive in bringing revenue in and making the town what it used to be.”

Despite the miserable weather, the beach clean received so much support, both on the day and online, that it is set to become a regular thing.

“We could have been out there for days,” said Coun Thompson.

“While there were a few big silly things, like the discarded pram, it was mostly bottle caps and small fragments of plastic, that does so much damage when it goes into the water.

He added: “There’s always a lot more work that needs to be done.”

The next beach clean will take place on Sunday, October 27, at 11am.