This is the disgusting mess left at popular beaches and waterfronts in the Bristol area by people on one of the hottest weekends of the year so far
Areas such as Millennium Square in Bristol, the city's harbourside and the beach in Weston-super-Mare were left swamped with litter as people came out to enjoy the sunshine.
Temperatures yesterday soared into the mid twenties, with it expected to be even hotter today.
The good weather has seen the waterfront at Bristol packed while thousands packed into coastal resorts such as Weston-super-Mare.
Residents, horrified at the mess left behind, took pictures of overflowing bins and rubbish left strewn across public areas.
With many public toilets still closed – along with pubs and restaurants – there have also been reports of people using covered entrances at apartment blocks alongside the Harbourside as a toilet.
Other people have been spotted nipping into the sand dunes and bushes in seaside resorts to answer the call of nature, while others have been seen urinating and defecating in side streets.
Local residents say the situation is starting to affect their lives.
One resident who lives at Bristol's Harbourside said: “We need to bring attention to this issue which is affecting us that live in this area.”
Parks, open spaces and beaches have seen an influx of people since the Government eased lockdown restrictions on exercise.
Student Molly Williams and her friend Anya were so upset at seeing Weston beach strewn with litter yesterday evening, the pair set about cleaning it up themselves – collecting 22 bags of rubbish.
Molly said: “We collected mainly plastic, bottles and cups and surprisingly loads of nappies and wet wipes and broken children’s toys.
“It was sad to see so many parents with young children had been the culprits.
“ It got a lot worse down by the pier as this is where most of the people visiting tend to sit nearer to the cafes and toilets.
“ I love where I live and care about the environment too much to let it go unnoticed.
"As a member of the public there is not a lot I can do but try to educate others and push people to talk about it so people may get the message.
“I don’t clean up the beach for the selfish people to visit again. I do it because I care about our world.”
Molly, who is staying in Weston after returning from university, said tougher action should be taken on people who drop litter.
And she added that tougher measures on those who do litter need to be introduced.
“People need to be educated and fining could be set up for anyone getting caught doing it.," she added.
“I don’t want to be picking up rubbish after people but at the moment it’s the only thing I am able to do to help.
“While I am home and not at university I will be carrying on with these litter picks on the beach.”
People have also been complaining about the levels of litter left along Clevedon and Portishead seafronts, taking pictures of overflowing bins along the prom.
Council contractors clean the seafront every day but say they are struggling to keep up with the levels of rubbish.
Those visiting popular areas are being urged to take their litter home with them rather than just dump it.
Council spokesman Nick Yates said: ““If a bin is full, people should take their waste home with them.
“Leaving items next to bins or on top of bins is still littering and makes emptying bins more difficult.”
