Bournemouth beach covered in rubbish as 50,000 people descend on the area – with more to come this weekend

Rubbish was strewn across Bournemouth beach after a night of partying in the popular Dorset hotspot. The city saw temperatures of up to 26C and the evening remained warm, prompting people to stay outside to party.

In an image shared from the west of the central pier, rubbish can be seen strewn across the sand. Debris includes plastic, cans and bottles, all of which can be dangerous to wildlife in the area.

Sharing the image on Twitter, local Phillip Polden commented “It was the beach at 6am this morning how can people leave it like this!”. The litter will place increased demand on maintenance crews in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) ahead of what is expected to be a busy weekend.

Read more: What you are – and aren’t – allowed to do on Dorset beaches at night

More than 100,000 people are expected to flock to Bournemouth this weekend to make the most of the warm weather. Tourism chiefs said around 50,000 visitors were on the seafront yesterday (June 17) and the same number is expected again today.

The conditions would have drawn many tourists to the coast to cool off. Traffic heading for the station queued for nine miles along the A31 and A338. The parking lots by the sea were full at 11am and people were queuing for 20 minutes to get an ice cream.

Most of the resort’s 30,000 hotel rooms are full for the weekend, while 3,000 deckchairs and 1,200 beach loungers have been rented.

Debbie White, 26, from Southampton, said: “I have the day off today but rather than lie I got up even earlier to make sure I had a parking space. I am glad i did because the roads were getting really busy when i arrived.

“It feels like being abroad. I have friends who spent thousands of pounds going to Turkey this week. They could have saved the money and stayed here instead.”

Chris Saunders, director of tourism at Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council, said: “We estimate around 50,000 people visited the seafront today (June 17). Considering it’s mid-June and not in high holiday season, this is an impressive number.

“It’s been a great start to the summer and our beachfront services and kiosks have been doing very well and we understand that hotel and guesthouse bookings are also looking very good.”

Paul Clarke, of the Carktin Hotel, said: “Warm weather is exactly what hospitality businesses need. Most of us are trying to get back to where we were before the pandemic.

“We know that some visitors have given up on traveling abroad due to the issues of canceled flights. By coming to Bournemouth, they are enjoying the beach and the weather without spending time stuck in airports.”

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