Pebble thefts a threat to Sussex coastline (From The Argus)
Get involved: Send your news, views, pictures and video by texting SUPIC to 80360 or email us.
Pebble thefts a threat to Sussex coastline
8:30am Sunday 25th September 2011 in News
Stealing pebbles from beaches could put lives at risk, environment bosses have warned.
Millions of pounds are spent every year bolstering the county’s sea defences after shingle is swept away by storms.
But gardeners and landscapers are plundering pebbles from beaches along the coastline to use at home or to sell commercially.
Keith Manton, of Shoreham, contacted The Argus after seeing people helping themselves to shingle or picking rare plants growing there.
In Thursday’s letters page he said: “Over the past year we have witnessed people stopping in cars and filling up bags with pebbles.
“It now seems that tradesmen are using the beach as a free builder’s yard.”
MrManton said he had seen a couple pull a plank from one of the wooden groynes.
Environment Agency (EA) experts launched a watch on beaches after the problem peaked ten years ago.
Secret cameras were set up and undercover officers tried to catch anyone taking away boot loads of stones.
Andrew Gilham, EA flood and coastal risk manager, said theft from beaches still happens.
He warned that stealing pebbles or shingle could put lives at risk and anyone caught could be fined up to £20,000.
Mr Gilham said: “Sussex beaches, particularly at Shoreham, form a defence that protects several thousand properties from the risk of flooding.
“We have built and maintained those defences at a cost of millions of pounds to protect life and property.
“While taking the odd stone away will not havemuch of an impact anyone filling up bags of stones for private or commercial use will.
“We would have no hesitation in prosecutingthemunder the powerswehave for causing damage to sea defences.”
Councillor Dave Simmons, Worthing and Adur Cabinet member for health and safety, said Shoreham Beach has protected status.
He said: “It is home to rare vegetation and it is illegal to take either shingle or plants from the beach.
“It is a nature reserve and we do our best to ensure it is always at its best.
“If we caught anyone removing shingle or plants we would report them to the police.”
A Sussex Police spokesman said: “Any reports would be dealt with on a case by case basis.
“Individual decisions would be taken on whether they were recorded as crime and prosecuted.”
Comments(29)
I thought
says...
9:06am Sun 25 Sep 11
Maxwell's Ghost wrote:And is your point:-
Two weeks ago my partner and I saw a man in a BMW putting large buckets of pebbles into the boot of his car near the Concorde club in Brighton. I couldn't get his number plate as the boot was up.
a). You are short sighted
b). You were too far away from the vehicle to see the registration
c). BMW drivers are more likely to put large amount of pebbles into their car boots than drivers of other vehicles
d). BMW boots are ideal for carrying pebbles
or.....
e). Something completely different?
Please refrain from posting until you can make sense
p.s. I presume the BMW wasn't driven away with the boot up, or was it; now that would be interesting?
sussexlord
says...
9:22am Sun 25 Sep 11
But this outlines the priorities of the "little Hitler" councils up and down the country. They have them upside down. Instead they should be focusing on cutting spending, waste and hiring too many pen pushers. They should stop accommodating minorities, flying rainbow flags on their offices and using the council like some kind of extension of the EU.
Above all they should not be allowed to raise council tax above inflation.
NickBrt
says...
9:32am Sun 25 Sep 11
I thought
says...
9:51am Sun 25 Sep 11
NickBrt wrote:Ridiculous comment, get yourself a job
Didn't a year ago our erstwhile MP Dr Luck-**** confess to stealing a pebble from the beach at Brighton (although when pressed she claimed to have put it back)? What sort of example is this from someone 'supposed' to care about the environment? She should immediately resign.
Maxwell's Ghost
says...
9:53am Sun 25 Sep 11
A bloke was nicking pebbles. I mention the detail in case someone else saw him and reported it.
I was driving by. The number plate is attached to the boot so when the boot lid is up you can't see it.
Are you really as thick as you sound?
I thought
says...
9:56am Sun 25 Sep 11
george smith
says...
10:00am Sun 25 Sep 11
DGee
says...
10:55am Sun 25 Sep 11
steveP2009
says...
11:02am Sun 25 Sep 11
NickBrt
says...
11:21am Sun 25 Sep 11
I thought
says...
11:22am Sun 25 Sep 11
Maxwell's Ghost wrote:Complete load of old BLX, how do you know he was nicking pebbles? There was no detail, presume you just got your stories mixed up again!?!
Stop chuntering I thought.
A bloke was nicking pebbles. I mention the detail in case someone else saw him and reported it.
I was driving by. The number plate is attached to the boot so when the boot lid is up you can't see it.
Are you really as thick as you sound?
LOL
Loser
John Steed
says...
11:48am Sun 25 Sep 11
storm in a bucket and spade.
brightonian57
says...
12:01pm Sun 25 Sep 11
Maxwell's Ghost
says...
12:44pm Sun 25 Sep 11
You seem slow today.
tenerifeisland
says...
1:17pm Sun 25 Sep 11
If the reporter from the argus actually bothered coming to the elm grove parking problem meeting on friday evening,you might have a story worth printing,perhaps you can be bothered to come to the hanover pub on monday at 7pm this time where the meeting will be held with councillors!!! Now thats worth printing!!!
I thought
says...
1:34pm Sun 25 Sep 11
Maxwell's Ghost wrote:What a disgustingly self centred and opinionated priggish individual you are. your posts are risible in content and you come across as some sort of gay captain Mainwaring.
The bloke had two bucket full of pebbles dangling from each hand and was lifting them into the open boot. . . Have you been on the sauce all night I Thought.
You seem slow today.
NickBrt
says...
1:48pm Sun 25 Sep 11
I thought
says...
5:02pm Sun 25 Sep 11
brightonian57 wrote:Probably how the ENRON affair started, once a thief, always a thief............. etc
I got told off by Mr Plod in the early '70's for borrowing about 25 pebbles to put in a bucket to hold the Christmas tree up. I went for a coffee, when had had gone I went back and got them. After Christmas I returned them to the spot I got them from. I don't think there's a problem with a few kids taking a couple home as a souvenir. The big problem is people taking loads for their gardens because they are to tight to buy them form Garden centres.
I thought
says...
5:05pm Sun 25 Sep 11
NickBrt wrote:You clearly have a problem with people who have a perceived problem, even more interesting and worrying!
dear old ithought has a major problem with gays or perceived gays, interesting.....
Bladesboy Returns
says...
6:26pm Sun 25 Sep 11
Maxwell's Ghost
says...
6:42pm Sun 25 Sep 11
brightonian57
says...
7:21pm Sun 25 Sep 11
I thought wrote:A typical stupid comment from ithought I suggest you go to that big book on your bookshelf, called a dictionary, and look up the defenition for thief, and the look up the defenition of borrow. When you've done that you will see borrowing something for about 10 days, and the returning them, fits the defenition of borrow and not that of thief
brightonian57 wrote: I got told off by Mr Plod in the early '70's for borrowing about 25 pebbles to put in a bucket to hold the Christmas tree up. I went for a coffee, when had had gone I went back and got them. After Christmas I returned them to the spot I got them from. I don't think there's a problem with a few kids taking a couple home as a souvenir. The big problem is people taking loads for their gardens because they are to tight to buy them form Garden centres.Probably how the ENRON affair started, once a thief, always a thief............. etc
brightonian57
says...
7:23pm Sun 25 Sep 11
Cold cold ground
says...
7:30pm Sun 25 Sep 11
brightonian57 wrote:Don't feed the troll!
I thought wrote:A typical stupid comment from ithought I suggest you go to that big book on your bookshelf, called a dictionary, and look up the defenition for thief, and the look up the defenition of borrow. When you've done that you will see borrowing something for about 10 days, and the returning them, fits the defenition of borrow and not that of thief
brightonian57 wrote: I got told off by Mr Plod in the early '70's for borrowing about 25 pebbles to put in a bucket to hold the Christmas tree up. I went for a coffee, when had had gone I went back and got them. After Christmas I returned them to the spot I got them from. I don't think there's a problem with a few kids taking a couple home as a souvenir. The big problem is people taking loads for their gardens because they are to tight to buy them form Garden centres.Probably how the ENRON affair started, once a thief, always a thief............. etc
Cold cold ground
says...
7:32pm Sun 25 Sep 11
red......with .......trolls......z
zzzzzzzzzz.......alm
ost ......not .....worth.........z
zzzzzzzzzz
Bladesboy Returns
says...
7:36pm Sun 25 Sep 11
Cold cold ground wrote:I think you and I thought are one and the same, wake up and smell the coffee you f**kwits!
Apart from anything ithought is as boring as hell. Yawn......so......bo
red......with .......trolls......z
zzzzzzzzzz.......alm
ost ......not .....worth.........z
zzzzzzzzzz
Cold cold ground
says...
8:12pm Sun 25 Sep 11
Bladesboy Returns wrote:YAWN
Cold cold ground wrote:I think you and I thought are one and the same, wake up and smell the coffee you f**kwits!
Apart from anything ithought is as boring as hell. Yawn......so......bo
red......with .......trolls......z
zzzzzzzzzz.......alm
ost ......not .....worth.........z
zzzzzzzzzz
Mister Manko
says...
11:49pm Sun 25 Sep 11
Blimey, I dunno, well, I don't agree with stealing in general, however, taking the odd pebble shouldn't cause that much of a stir..However, I don't agree with people scooping up huge amounts for what ever tickles their fancy..
Maxwell's Ghost says...
8:36am Sun 25 Sep 11