Litter pick roadshow set to tour local seaside villages

Beginning the week of Monday 4, April, residents, and businesses are invited to join the local litter pick sessions at any of the below locations:

• Winterton - meet at the village hall on Monday 4, April at 9am
• Hemsby - meet opposite the public toilets near the Lifeboat shed on Monday 4, April at 1pm
• Scratby - meet at the slope near the public toilets on Tuesday 5, April at 9am
• Caister - meet beside the lifeboat station on Tuesday 5, April at 1pm
• Great Yarmouth - meet behind the slingshot ride on Wednesday 6, April at 9am
• Gorleston - meet at the yacht pond on Wednesday 6, April at 1pm

Friends of Horsey Seal will also be in attendance to help educate and share how littering can affect seals and other wildlife. Many seals have sadly fallen victim to flying rings which are left in the sea where they have been thrown or lost. Being inquisitive animals, they play with them and put their heads through the hole and as young seals grow the rings dig into their flesh causing painful wounds that can be fatal.

Environmental Rangers will be visiting local businesses within the areas to discuss product packaging and other ways they can help to reduce littering, as well as discussing with residents how litter negatively effects our borough.

Cllr Paul Wells, chairman of the environment committee, said: "Littering is completely unnecessary and contaminates our community and environment, especially our beaches.

"As well as making our borough look untidy, it can also have an extremely harmful effect on the wildlife we are lucky to have here. Seals and other wildlife can get caught in all sorts of plastic litter, with ropes, netting, and ringed items being especially dangerous, so it is vital we pick up after ourselves."