TOURISM chiefs are so worried about stones and wind-blown sand on some of Bournemouth's beaches that they are to spend almost £165,000 putting it right.

The news comes months after Bournemouth council dismissed a row over the state of the beaches as "a sandstorm in a tea cup".

Now a council report has admitted that "some areas of the beach are littered with large stones" and that the problem is worst between the resort's two piers and at Southbourne.

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Cllr Michael Filer, the council's cabinet member for tourism, said he was "horrified" by the extent of stones on the resort's beaches since beach replenishment was carried out.

He will on Wednesday urge the council's cabinet to buy special equipment which will remove stones from the beaches.

"I believe what happened in the past it was decided to leave it and hope it would go away but it clearly hasn't gone away," he said.

"I wasn't prepared to take any risks with the season coming up and all these millions of holiday makers coming along.

"The last thing we want are children running around getting hurt and us losing the image of seven miles of golden sands."

A report before the cabinet details how 1.5 million cubic metres of beach material has been added to the beaches over the last two winters, resulting in "the biggest and widest beach for 60 years". But it adds: "Following the renourishment, some areas of the beach are littered with large stones. This is particularly bad in the area between the two piers and at Southbourne and has led to numerous customer complaints, bad press locally and nationally and a loss of confidence from the tourist trade."

Council officers monitored the situation but found that natural processes "have not dealt with the situation".

The report says wind-blown sand has also been a problem and would be persistent.

It says a three-year "stone removal programme" will be required, concentrating on the stretch of beach between the piers and Southbourne.

It recommends spending £164,770 on the problem, including buying special equipment, a tractor and a trailer and hiring a driver.

When the Daily Echo reported complaints about the state of Southbourne beach earlier this year, the council acknowledged a localised problem but played down the issue.

Chief executive Pam Donnellan said at the time: "This really is a sandstorm in a teacup. Our stunning beaches are Bournemouth's biggest asset and it is just madness to suggest that we would do anything other than preserve and protect them."

Bournemouth Area Hospitality Association chairman, hotelier Alison Gandolfi said: "I think it is very important that we keep our beaches as clean as possible; after all we are Blue Flag winners. It will be money well spent."