April 2, 2021 8.43 am This story is over 35 months old

Litter fines and new restrictions for Cleethorpes beach

35 fines in a week
Litter in Pier Gardens in Cleethorpes. | Photo: NELC

Enforcement officers at North East Lincolnshire issued £100 littering fixed penalty notices to 35 people in Cleethorpes this week.

Officers were left frustrated by irresponsible people leaving the resort in North East Lincolnshire covered in litter, ranging from broken bottles, cans and cardboard packaging, to carrier bags and face masks.

North East Lincolnshire Council deployed almost all its street cleansing staff to the resort to clear up the mess on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 29 and 30. The enforcement officers will be on patrol during Easter weekend.

Cleethorpes has more than 60 litter bins along the promenade, including newly installed sets of extra-large bins just a few steps from the beach and Ross Castle.

However, this week the team has already been called to clear up broken glass and other mess in the following places:

  • Pier Gardens
  • Cleethorpes Beach
  • North Wall (people smashing bottles)
  • Haverstoe Park
  • Patrick Street underpass (people smashing bottles)

The officers spoke to more than 200 dog owners to remind them about picking up dog mess and keeping their pets off the main beach from Good Friday.

They talked to a group of youngsters who threw a bike into Sydney Park pond and safely retrieved it.  They also praised children and other people for picking up their litter and putting it in a bin.

Meanwhile, dogs will not be allowed on the central beach between Cleethorpes Leisure Centre and Wonderland from Good Friday until September 30.

Dog walkers will be fined £100 if they take their dogs on the restricted section of beach between those dates.

A council spokesperson said: “People love and value Cleethorpes beach so it’s all the more disheartening to see it treated like a rubbish dump.

“We’re grateful to our street cleansing team for clearing up such unacceptable amounts of litter and enforcement officers for carrying out patrols.

“The beach, along with parks and local beauty spots, provide people with much-needed open space during the pandemic. These places are vital for our physical and mental well-being.

“Nobody wants to see them treated with such contempt. When people leave litter, it makes the place look a mess and it harms wildlife. If it’s left on the beach, it can wash into the sea where it poses a danger to fish and other marine animals.”