Think of a classic Kent seaside scene and what comes to mind? Sandcastles? Definitely. Ice creams? Oh yes. A slightly dodgy brown discolouration in the water? Possibly.
Queues at fish and chip shops? You bet. But we can also add to that list – particularly after a particularly sun-drenched weekend – litter. And lots of it.
Whitstable has been prone to some of the worst scenes. Picture: Twitter/@candy43759291 All the big coastal towns suffer from it – think Folkestone, Whitstable and Margate to name but three. The more popular you have become with the day-tripper, the more you fall victim to it.
Beautiful stretches of coastline end up looking like the aftermath of the Glastonbury Festival. Just with fewer abandoned tents. The question is who - or what - is to blame? There is no question that plenty of the mess originates from those folk equipped with minimal brain cells.
After all, how difficult can it be to put your trash in a suitable receptacle? There's even that wonderful invention on many clothes called pockets in which you can stash your detritus until a suitable bin looms into view. Or, indeed, a bag. So, and I'm giving us all the benefit of the doubt here, I'm assuming the vast majority of us.
.. Chris Britcher.