Authorities are asking visitors to a popular Welsh beach to return pebbles that are crucial for protecting the coast from erosion. Saundersfoot beach in Pembrokeshire is being stripped of pebbles that help defend homes from waves and coastal erosion. Chris Williams, a local councillor, warned the removal of the stones could put nearby properties at risk. Williams said many people had been taking the stones and painting them for charity auctions without understanding the importance of the stones for the beach.
Pebbles help absorb wave energy and help stabilise the shoreline, according to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. Although taking pebbles may seem trivial, over time, it can have a significant impact on the natural defences of the beach. The council is urging visitors not to take them or to return them if they have already.
Williams has admitted he has taken pebbles in the past, but he would like people to return the stones they have taken. Around the UK, many people have reportedly used lockdown to hunt for pebbles on beaches. Earlier this month, a woman was fined after damaging rocks at a beach in Yorkshire while trying to move a large stone, which she thought contained fossilised remains.
The beach stones come from different parts of the world, they were originally used as ballast for the coal industry. In the 1970s, local quarries helped maintain the beach and the properties behind it by placing stones on it. The council will be discussing possible solutions to the problem in a meeting next week
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