Offenders work to clear Lincolnshire beaches of harmful pollution
Offenders serving community sentences have worked to remove large amounts of plastic pellets containing aviation fuel and other rubbish from Moggs Eye and Huttoft beaches in support of the Marine Conservation Society’s national Great British Beach Clean event.
The supervised group carrying out court-ordered Community Payback, cleared the beaches and collected nearly 8kg of waste.
Community Payback is a form of unpaid work that can be given as part of a community sentence, ensuring offenders make meaningful amends to the communities they've harmed while serving their sentences.
Community sentences are made up of thirteen possible requirements that offenders are expected to meet, including restrictions, tasks, and treatment programmes they must carry out in the community. Offenders can be given one of these measures, or a combination of a few, for a maximum duration of three years.
Chris Greaves, Community Payback Supervisor at the project says the beach clean was very productive:
“Community Payback is hard work, and the offenders working at the project were engaged with the task.
The beaches were cleared of an abundance of plastic pellets holding aviation fuel inside which have been washed up on the beaches after the North Sea tanker collision earlier this year and this will have a huge positive impact on the environment and wildlife there.”
The Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean is the UK's largest beach cleaning and surveying event. The Probation service works with the Marine Conservation Society to get offenders from Lincolnshire involved in the nationwide effort and help to tackle the growing problem of marine litter.
The team logged the recovered rubbish, which will help the charity understand the main pollutants. The data contributes to the charity’s dataset of over 30-years, allowing them to identify common litter items, sources and trends, and use this evidence to campaign for cleaner and healthier seas.
Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society said:
“We really value offenders playing an active role in protecting our seas and communities. Clearing litter from our beaches is a practical way to contribute to both the local environment and wider conservation efforts and helps to gather important information on what’s washing up on our shores.
From sewage-related items such as wet wipes to plastic bottles, recording each piece of litter helps us better understand ocean pollution and supports us in campaigning for cleaner seas and a healthier planet.”