A beautiful Devon beach which has been swamped with sewage , plastic, dog waste and medical syringes has been handed an eco award. When you grow up near the coast, the beach becomes your best friend. But being a child means you don't necessarily understand how clean the sand you're playing in is.
Most of my childhood beach memories were made at Broadsands Beach, Paignton, in Devon which - while picturesque - has also had its fair share of sewage and waste scandals. Roughly 10 years ago, my father was walking along the beach when he discovered hundreds of medical needles and syringes. After getting in touch with the Herald Express and featuring in the newspaper, the story quickly went quiet.
What happened to the medical supplies, and whether they were used or not, remained unknown. Looking back now, the possible danger seems huge. What if they were used, or contained contaminated blood? Not only would this have had the possibility of health risks, but also damage to the environment.
Is your local beach a hotspot for sewage, rubbish or dog waste? Email us at [email protected] Interactive map shows 74 British beaches given special award - is yours on list? A needle full of blood which was found on Trecco Bay beach in Porthcawl during a volunteer beach-clean ( Image: Alison Timms Lloyd) This is my earliest memory of the issues going on at Broadsands Beach, which was then followed by years of seeing rubbish on the beach and hearing about sewage dumps. Remains of nearby crashe.
