Award winning sea water let down by filthy beach

AWARD winning waters are being let down by filthy shores.

In a week which saw Hastings and St Leonards coastal waters meeting top European standards, piles of broken glass, beer cans and toilet waste could be seen littering the beaches.

Cindy Potter, from Hastings and St Leonards Angling Association, said: "I hate seeing all the litter on the beach, all the bottles and plastic carrier bags. It's just plain laziness, people can't be bothered to pick stuff up. It looks awful."

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The sorry contrast followed the announcement that Hastings had reached the EC bathing water directive's quality standard, with St Leonards picking up the blue flag for even higher levels of cleanliness.

Hastings sea swimmers can rest easy after the stretch of the Channel passed tight sewage guidelines. But the beaches tell another story - with smashed glass, bottles, toilet paper and food tins covering the pebbles. And with dogs allowed back on the beach over winter, doggy deposits could also be added to the list, if owners do not clean up after their pets.

Aly Walsh, of Marina, said: "I was always swimming in the sea in summer, but it was awful when you had to hop over rubbish. They should be cleaned more."

Onyx, contracted out by the council, only blitz the beaches once a month during winter, leaving it to the elements and high tides to clean up the rest of the mess.

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A council spokesman said: "Between May and September they are cleaned every day, then after that it's once a month, although we have emergency staff who can be called on if there's a particular problem."

Despite dropping temperatures, many drinkers are still seeking sanctuary on the shores, leaving cans and smashed glass bottles in their wake.

Unlike the town centre and promenade, the foreshore is not covered by a street drinking ban, although the council is considering an extension - which could result in a drop in litter levels, as well as anti-social behaviour, on the shore.

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