A PROTEST is set for Bournemouth Beach next weekend in response to “the obscene amount of litter” dumped by visitors.

Southbourne resident Tom Bickle is organising the event, which will include a ten-metre wide banner displayed next to the town’s pier.

Tom, who is hoping around 50 people will take part in the peaceful protest, says he wants to raise awareness about the “shameful” amounts of litter left on the beach.

A litter pick will follow the protest.

The 36-year-old marketing manager, from Southbourne, told the Daily Echo: “The council does a really good job, this protest is aimed at visitors to the beach, asking them not to treat it as a junk yard and to think about other beach-users.

“I normally go to the beach at Southbourne, but I just wandered down to Bournemouth Pier the other day and I was really saddened by what I saw, especially as there are so many bins provided.

“This is not just laziness, it is selfishness. It goes on year-after-year. I know a lot of people care about it, so I thought I’d get down there with a few banners.

“If we can change just a few people’s attitudes it would be something.”

Tom, who will be at Bournemouth Pier on Saturday, August 6, at 12noon, wants as many people as possible to join his peaceful protest.

Meanwhile, a separate online petition also highlighting litter on Bournemouth Beach, has called for enforcement of on-the-spot fines for beach littering.

Dean Donovan, 21, who established the petition with girlfriend Sarah Holmes, said: “We love seeing our beautiful beaches in a healthy environment.

“We thought if we started a petition it might make people think twice about their litter.

“It is quite disheartening when it is something as easy as picking up your litter and putting it away.”

The online petition, which already has more than 400 supporters, is available at Change.org.

Earlier this month Bournemouth Borough Council cabinet member Cllr Anne Filer called on residents to take personal responsibility for the town’s litter and become less dependent on the borough’s street cleaners.