BOURNEMOUTH Beach is turning into ‘a giant ashtray’, says a marine conservation volunteer.

Glass bottles, inflatable swimming rings, plastic food packaging, disposable barbecues and even a pair of shoes were seen dumped in the sand.

This comes just a day after Daily Echo reported how resident Anya Levkouskis had recorded footage of the mess left behind by beachgoers which has received more than 255,000 views on Facebook.

Along with the video, she begged people to keep the area ‘clean and beautiful.’

Ali Cattaneo from Boscombe, volunteer regional rep for Surfers against Sewage, said: “The beach is turning into one giant ashtray.

“You just have to run your hand through the sand and if somebody has been sat a few feet away while smoking a packet of 20 cigarettes you can see and feel it.”

She said that following a large public event, there may be an increased amount of litter, before adding: “But on a random Tuesday night, I wasn’t expecting the carnage that was there. It looked like a landfill site.”

Cllr Phil Stanley Watts, a member of Bournemouth Council’s Economy and Tourism Overview and Scrutiny Panel, said: “Bournemouth is one of the top 10 destinations when the weather is hot. The downside is that people leave their rubbish on the beach. I’d urge people to put it in the bins and not leave it on the beach.

“It ruins the environment and goes against the natural habitat of the wildlife. It is about sharing responsibility.”

Denise Parker, who was visiting Bournemouth on business from Kingston-Upon-Thames, said it had put her off coming back to the town.

She said: “There were just piles of plastic bottles and bags. I just can’t believe that people just stand up and leave it behind.

“The attitude seems to be that somebody else should take responsibility for it.

“There were rubbish bins but they were full to overflowing.”

Joseph Hughes, 50, from Mudeford, said: “The thing that repulsed me the most was the used nappies left in the sand and the glass bottles that people were using as target practice. It’s just the absolute state of it. It’s diabolical.”

Chris Saunders, head of Seafront Operations at Bournemouth council, said: “The hot weather attracts millions of very welcome visitors to our beaches, however this can bring about a litter problem to the busiest areas of the seafront on a very busy day.

“We encourage our beach goers to make use of the 200 plus bins along the promenade, with clear messaging to further enforce this.”

A hard-working team of litter pickers face difficulty in maintaining our high standards with the increasing amount of rubbish, so we ask beach users to be respectful of the area and ensure their space is tidy when vacated for the enjoyment of everyone.”