One of our most prominent local beaches has made the news recently for all of the wrong reasons and because of the power of social media a photograph of litter-covered sands has circulated Worldwide.  That gives both a false but also a sadly accurate impression.

 

The false impression is that Margate Main Sands, for that of course was the location of this particular `litter strike` is kept, by the Council,is filthy when they are kept  in a generally pristine condition. The accurate impression is that Britain is still, in spite of local and national Campaigns  (Craig Mackinlay and I promote the Litter Angels project founded by Gordon Henderson,  the MP for Sheppey)  regarded as a `dirty nation` and one in which it is deemed acceptable to discard rubbish for other people to pick up.

 

In Herne Bay and in Margate and, indeed, throughout the East Kent Coastline, we are justly proud of the facilities and natural beauty that we have to offer and of the Blue Flag and other awards that they attract.  These are a recognition of the hard work that our officials put in to try to make sure that our visitors receive not only a warm but a clean welcome.  That image, so hard to earn and so easy to lose, is damaged when  coachloads of people arriving as an `organised`  outing, bring their food and their drink with them, spend no money in our towns and then depart leaving trash that includes plastic bottles and soiled nappies for others to clear up at the local ratepayers` expense.

 

As I said at the time of the most recent incident we have to throw the book at those responsible and impose hefty fines upon the individuals or collective groups responsible.  If it is in order – as it is – to issue an on-the-spot penalty for chucking a fag-end into the gutter then it is in order to apply the same rules to our foreshores.

 

The bigger picture, that of a national culture, also has to be addressed.  Fly-tipping on both a domestic and a commercial basis, is a bane for our local farmers. How often, also, do we drive along a motorway to witness a car window opened and a plastic bag or a drink can chucked out onto the verge as if it does not matter?  Unless and until litter louts are regarded as social pariahs in the same way that those who smoke in unauthorised areas are now viewed and unless we make a concerted effort to get across to primary school children the idea that all litter – the plastic/wildlife message is certainly getting home – is unacceptable then Britain will continue to be regarded as `the dirty man of Europe` and that is a label that we can certainly do without.

 

As a footnote, I was privileged to spend a few days last week at Minnis Bay  and in Herne Bay,with  a couple of my grandchildren: I would like to express my thanks to the Beach Wardens, to the Lifeguards and to all those others, commercial ventures and  Thanet District and Canterbury City Council employees who do work so very hard to make sure that visitors to the East Kent Coast have an enjoyable time and want to return. They are doing a great job.

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