Firework debris left on Scarborough beach after Christmas display

Debris was left scattered across Scarborough's South Bay beach following the Christmas light switch-on firework display yesterday.
Scarborough Christmas light switch-on. Left: Firework debris left on the groundScarborough Christmas light switch-on. Left: Firework debris left on the ground
Scarborough Christmas light switch-on. Left: Firework debris left on the ground

Dog walkers reported the rubbish left behind following the event after picking up bags of cardboard, plastic tubes and plastic caps after the display on South Bay, in Scarborough.

A Scarborough resident said that she first became aware of the mess left on the beach when her dog brought her a mouthful of debris it had found.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Accompanied by another couple they went around picking up as much of the litter as possible but she said the tide "got the better of them" before they managed to pick up all the abandoned rubbish.

Notfes Nameerf, who was helping to clean the rubbish, said: "All of it had been left and no attempt to clean this up had been made, shameful behaviour.

"We were lucky to have arrived moments before it all went into the sea, we managed to clear up what we could."

The two couples picked up four bags full of rubbish before the tide came in.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A spokesperson for Scarborough Borough Council, who hired a third party company to carry out the display, said: “Unfortunately some debris from Sunday night’s firework display in Scarborough South Bay was unintentionally left on the beach after the display and for that we apologise.

"We are currently liaising with our fireworks supplier to find out why this happened, given that we have not experienced problems in the past when the company has carried out similar displays on our behalf.

“We would like to say a big thank you to those community spirited members of the public who took it upon themselves to clear up the debris from the beach.

"However this is not something they should have had to do and we are determined to work with event organisers to put in place stricter measures to prevent debris being left behind at future displays.”

The event on Scarborough's South Bay saw Emmerdale stars Mark Charnock and Dominic Brunt, who play Marlon Dingle and Paddy Kirk respectively, switch-on Scarborough's Christmas lights.