AN environmentalist was left horrified after picking up more than 4kg of rubbish – including PPE and a can full of urine – on Southend’s beaches.

Sally Lands has been collecting litter left on the beaches every morning since February, but she was dismayed by the amount of waste she discovered along the coastline on Tuesday.

Miss Lands, of Shorefield Gardens, Westcliff, is frustrated to see visitors to the beaches still failing to put rubbish in bins or taking their waste with them.

She said: “The bag of rubbish I picked up weighed over 4kg.

“The bag was too heavy to carry. It contained two nappies, a box of firelighters for disposable barbecues, clothing, six plastic gloves, over two dozen hand wipes, three masks, plasters, netting from plastic toys, tissues, cans – including one full of urine – food trays, plastic hoops from beer cans, drink cups and cigarette butts.

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“It was just unbelievable, to be honest. I cannot put into words how disgusting it is to find used nappies and plasters. It’s worse when it’s stuffed into the rocks when there are bins provided just a few feet away.

“Finding PPE is really worrying because the masks could be contaminated.”

Miss Lands is disappointed to see a lack of respect for the environment.

She added: “I am pleading for people to think about the environment they are in.

“They must see the beauty of the sea, views and general surroundings Southend has to offer. We are incredibly lucky to have the beach. Please have respect for others and our wonderful town.”

Miss Lands hopes more of the community will volunteer their services and help to clean our beaches.

She admitted: “Many people stop me daily to say how grateful they are for my efforts and how much they’d like to join me. It is not only extremely rewarding but great for mental health.”