RESIDENTS have hit out over the amount of litter left strewn on the beach after thousands of people visited over the weekend.

Piles of rubbish were left on the sand after beachgoers flocked to make the most of the warm weather.

A picture taken on Saturday by Mark Tyrrell showed discarded bottles, wrappers, cans, coffee cups and carrier bags.

Seagulls could also be seen surrounding the rubbish that had been left behind near the water’s edge.

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Meanwhile, an environmental campaigner has also blasted people who left Bournemouth beach covered in rubbish.

Bournemouth Echo: Oly Rush with the litter left on the beach on Sunday eveningOly Rush with the litter left on the beach on Sunday evening

Oly Rush visited the beach on Sunday evening and was ‘appalled’ at the amount of litter left.

He said: “I knew the beach would be a mess. The council cleans it all up in the morning so often people don’t get to see what it’s like after a hot day.

“But if more people see the mess they might think twice about leaving their rubbish behind.

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“There are bins all the way along the promenade but still people just leave their waste on the sand.”

He is now turning his Project Planet group of beach cleaners into a registered charity so he can devote more time to cleaning up the oceans.