Nappies among items left behind at Mayo beauty spots

NAPPIES, towels and a lit barbecue were among the many items left behind at various Mayo beauty spots as people enjoyed the sun over the weekend.

With the sun shining again today, those out this bank holiday Monday are being urged to please bring your rubbish home with you.

Westport Tidy Towns volunteers, in one morning clean-up, found 11 towels thrown in various places, a half bag of bottles and broken glass from the football pitch, and also the various cans pictured here – ironically, they note, in view of the bottle bank.

The plea from the organisation is: 'Enjoy our town and the harbour but please remember to do so responsibly'.

The Keep Our Beaches Clean organisation reported that Old Head Beach is in the spotlight, but for all the wrong reasons.

By 2 p.m, yesterday (Sunday), five bags of rubbish had been gathered – the most common thing being baby wipes and nappies.

In a social media post they said: 'Baby wipes and nappies are absolutely disgusting, unsightly, unhygienic, and probably the most disturbing thing for volunteers to pick up.'

The wrath of the disposable barbecue was also highlighted – volunteers came across one that was still lit.

A campaign is to begin to have them banned on local beaches. Highlighting the damage the barbecue does to the earth underneath it, and the dangers posed by leaving it alight, the post on the Keep Our Beaches Clean Facebook page said: 'This year I will be making a push to have these banned on all our local beaches. Please tag local councillors for support on this issue.'