It disturbs the eco-structure of the sand! How long before council bans buckets and spades from beach?

 

'Damaging the eco-structure of the sand' - so will buckets and spades be banned from Cleethorpes Beach? 

HOW long before the longstanding leisure tradition of building sandcastles is outlawed on Cleethorpes Beach?

The question is prompted by the revelation (in the Grimsby News) that speculative metal detecting will be banned by North East Lincolnshire Council from the start of next month.

Those in breach of the ban face an on-spot fine of £100.

Why such a draconian measure? According to the council, holes dug in the beach sub-sand "alter its eco-structure and risk damaging the habitat of invertebrates".

Young holidaymakers with buckets and spades digger deeper holes - and many more of them - than metal detectorists, so do they, too, face a ban?

The Grimsby News says: Through its bossy officiousness, the biggest hole is the one that the council has built itself. Holes dug by metal detectorists are seldom more than a few inches deep. Compare that with bucket-and-spade holidaymakers who sometimes dig 'to reach Australia'! Any 'damage' caused, is washed away by the next tide. The council should bite its lip on this issue, admit it has been disproportionate and turn a blind eye to metal detecting which gives  its practitioners a great deal of pleasure.    

Metal detectorists on Cleethorpes Beach earlier today. Are they really harming the habitat of invertebrates?