New litter campaign urges 'leave only footprints'

A trail of footprints and a stencilled message encouraging people to dispose of their litter properly have been painted along Weston-super-Mare's seafront.

North Somerset Council said the Leave Only Footprints campaign would be a visual reminder for visitors and residents.

Sophie Newton, co-organiser of Super Litter Pickers, a voluntary litter picking group, welcomed the campaign, saying it should be "brighter and bolder and more permanent".

"It's just enough of a hint for people. I'm against signs that are quite negative. We need to thank people for not littering rather than yelling at them," she said.

Newton said she believed the summer's exceptional heat had actually meant there was less litter in the town, because fewer people had been on the beach during the heatwave.

"It's nice to see the message, and it's a step in the right direction, but it needs to be permanent," she said.

Leader of North Somerset Council, Mike Bell, said: "North Somerset's coastline is one of our area's most valued public spaces.

"Putting rubbish in a bin, or taking it home when that is not possible, helps reduce litter, protect wildlife and support recycling."

Community lead for Plastic-Free Weston-super-Mare, Debbie Apted, said people were more aware of littering issues in recent years.

"There's a lot of issues with 'tidy littering' where people bag their rubbish up and leave it next to a bin, as that's still fly-tipping," she said.

"When we started picking litter nine years ago, it was a lot worse.

"People used to just get up and leave their blankets and everything."

"Except when you get a really busy day, the seafront is generally in a much better condition," she added.

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