WE have been to Branksome Chine Beach today at 7am and I was appalled at the state of the bins and the beach.

Every single bin was overflowing and the beach had not been ‘combed’ and cleaned. I picked up several pieces of rubbish including a spent barbecue and two wooden sticks with the very sharp pointed end sticking out of the sand – had a child (or anyone) stepped on them, the point would have gone straight through his/her foot.

We left at 8.30 and people were pouring onto the beach which sadly will mean that the state of the beach when they leave will be a rubbish tip.

When Poole council were in charge of the beaches, the beach at Branksome Chine was cleaned before 7am every day in the summer and the bins emptied either late at night or early in the morning.

On phoning the environmental number, I was told that the council workers were ‘stretched’ and that the bins would be emptied sometime!

The bins would have been in the same state late night and could have been emptied then – it is still light until 9pm – or early in the morning – it gets light at 5am.

Later we will see pictures of the local beaches and tomorrow the papers will be showing the same. It is a absolute disgrace.

Incompetence does not even begin to cover the mismanagement by this totally inept council.

I have lived here all my life as have generations of my family and I am ashamed to see my beautiful surroundings in this state.

GILLIAN BROOKES

Erpingham Road, Poole