A total of 13,000kg of litter was collected from Weymouth Beach over the bank holiday weekend sparking anger from residents.

The resort sizzled, and temperatures soared past 26 degrees Celsius for what was the hottest early May bank holiday since records began.

Despite the hot weather enjoyed by thousands of visitors, heaps of rubbish were left on the town’s award-winning beach as bins overflowed.

Residents said parts of the beach looked like a ‘bomb site’, covered with discarded toys, drinks bottles, food wrappers and glass.

Dave Taylor aged 55, who lives in Weymouth, filmed a video of the rubbish left in the beach’s dog area while walking his dog on Monday evening.

Speaking about the mess, he said: “We went to the dog area by the Pavilion at around 8.45pm and the beach looked like a bomb site! I’m not sure if Dorset Waste Partnership had cleaned it in the evening, but it was disgusting.

“The tide was out, and I was concerned that most of it would be washed out on the tide overnight, so my dog and I collected as much as we could before it got dark and put it in a pile above the high-water mark. What is in the video was collected in five to 10 minutes and was a fraction of what was on the beach. It was discarded toys, drinks bottles, food wrappers etc. We didn’t pick up cans or paper cups as it was getting dark and we were more concerned about plastic and glass.

“I live here and it makes me sad that most of it would end up in the sea.”

Charlotte Cartwright, a Weymouth resident, said: “I went running from Bowleaze to the clock and back. The bins were all full to the brim, and disposable barbecues stacked up next to them.

“The Greenhill section of the beach between the pier and the groyne had rubbish over it. Mainly cans and bottles. The sandy area of the beach didn’t look too bad as far as I noticed.”

Cllr Jason Osborne similarly noticed some of the bins were overflowing near the harbour during the bank holiday weekend.

He said: “If you know it’s hot and sunny and thousands of people are coming why not empty bins before they overflow.

“People coming to Weymouth for the first time will see the litter, fortunately, it wasn’t windy, but had it been the rubbish would have flown over into the sea or harbour “I feel that if we know there is a big event happening then we should put out bigger bins in anticipation of it. At the seafood festival they have bigger bins it doesn’t make sense to me.

“On a brighter note Dorset Waste Partnership were there bright and early to sort it out.”

Dorset Waste Partnership explained they were out in full force over the weekend.

They had two teams of street cleaners which looked after Weymouth Beach and the promenade.

A spokesman for DWP said one team worked from 6am to 2.30pm while the other team started at 11am and worked until 7.30pm.

Discussing the amount collected, the spokesman explained: “We picked up 4,000kg of litter on both Saturday and Sunday each, with 5,000kg picked up on Monday - A total of 13,000kg from litter-picking and litter bins.

“The rare combination of the sunny weather and bank holiday meant this was particularly busy compared to previous bank holidays, especially where visitors appeared to stay later in the day.”

“Our street cleansing teams commented that the sheer volume of people on the beach made it difficult to pick litter during the day without being intrusive.”

Some people had collected their waste in black bags but left these on the beach after our crews had finished. Some of these bags were attacked by gulls, with the contents spread around the beach.

“The cleansing team had The Esplanade, promenade and beach cleared and ready for the public by 9am on the Tuesday morning.”

To find out more about reporting rubbish visit www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/recycling-rubbish-and-waste

Litter at Lulworth

Emily Hitchins, a Bournemouth resident, visited Durdle Door on bank holiday Monday to soak up the sunshine. However, she was outraged by the amount of litter left on the beach.

She said: “We arrived around 12.30pm and set up behind a group who were there with their children. They left shortly after lunch and left a bag of rubbish, baby wipes, plastic bottles of drink and some clear plastic. I couldn’t believe it. One lady in the group looked at it all littering the beach, hesitated, then walked off. A couple near us couldn’t believe it either. I picked it all up and put into the bag. I left it near us to take home but another group arrived and when the left they took it with them. I think they thought it was theirs!

“When we did leave the beach I picked up several discarded cans, ice cream wrappers, bottles and other packaging. I carried it all back to the bin in Lulworth Cove.

“Not the greatest of stories but as a family we try to do our bit. I just wish everyone felt the same. They brought it to the beach so they should take it home.

“The beach was heaving on Monday I can only imagine the mess left behind.”