Slopes: 18kgs (31kgs last time)

Total: 40kgs (50kgs last time)

The beach total included some 6 kgs collected from around the skate park and into Long Rock.

Total since our first clear in April 2016: 3,659kgs

Everywhere seemed to be showing less litter this time – we wondered whether the strong westerly wind had actually blown much of it to Herne Bay! However, perhaps the recent very bad weather had also been keeping people away from the beach and Slopes. Despite the fact that the total weight was slightly down, there was still much evidence of the smaller pieces of plastic that can cause so much environmental and wildlife damage. There was also comment about a lot of ‘sanitary’ items and the plastic sticks from cotton wool buds suddenly appearing back on the beach around the skate park, prompting a question as to whether this might be related to one or more recent storm releases by Southern Water.

There were the usual items collected – drink tins and bottles (glass and plastic) – and lots of the harder-plastic bottle tops and packaging ties. We also had the more usual mix of odd beach shoes and pieces of clothing but, more unusually, an old coat, a battered metal bucket, a metal kitchen mixing bowl and a deflated helium ‘celebration’ balloon. Needless to say, we also had two obligatory road cones!! Most surprisingly, there was a sachet of fake blood – just a left-over from Hallowe’en hopefully – and no traces of firework debris, but then it had been raining on the Saturday evening and we were ahead of anything happening on “Firework Night” itself. Pleasingly, none of the small silver nitrous oxide cylinders were found anywhere this time – perhaps recent national activity and publicity is helping to ensure that this highly dangerous activity really is on the wane rather than being just more of a summer ‘pastime’.