Parent's concern over rubbish dumped at Big Beach in Watford

Nicky Williams visited The Big Beach in The Parade with her son on Saturday morning and says she was "concerned" to see and hear about so much rubbish.

This included beer bottles, bits of broken glass, and leftover pizza which she thinks was dumped by people out the night before.

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Nicky, who lives in the town, said: "We arrived at around 9.20am and I could see a council worker emptying the bins but he wasn't coming to the sand to pick up this litter. We left at ten past ten and it was all still there.

"The beach is a lovely idea but with all of the pubs and clubs here, it is asking for trouble. During the night, partygoers could put anything in there, people could be sick. It's just not very nice and it's dangerous."

Rubbish discovered at The Big Beach in Watford on Saturday morning. Credit: Nicky Williams

Nicky says she likes the accessible location of the Big Beach and does not want it taken away. But she has called on Watford Borough Council to make sure the site is monitored at night.

The mum, who is a full-time carer for her ten-year-old son who has special needs, said: "There's a hygiene and health and safety risk here. It will be a big issue if a child does end up getting hurt.

"As a parent, I don't want to wait to hear someone has been hurt and I'd also ask parents to be vigilant because you don't know what is buried in the sand."

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The Big Beach in The Parade last year. Credit Peter Taylor

The council says the beach is supervised between 10am and 4pm which is when the hut is open. Issues outside of these hours should be reported to them or the council.

Responding to Nicky's concerns, Watford mayor Peter Taylor said: "The big beach is a highlight of summer in Watford and it's great to see so many local families enjoying the sun and sand already this year.

"We keep a close eye on safety and do thorough cleans at 10am and 4pm as well as spot checks throughout the day."

The Big Beach. Credit: Simon Jacobs/Watford Borough Council

The big beach, which is free to visit and play, is in Watford this year until August 21.

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