PART of an old rowing boat and an anchor were washed up on Poole's beaches during the storms that battered the coast last week.

The clean-up in Poole and Bournemouth is still continuing this week to restore the resorts' golden sands to their former glory.

Ray Turner, Poole's beaches manager, said: "Following the storms, we did have debris washed up which is not out of the ordinary in such weather conditions.

"The council's environmental and consumer protection services arranged a beach cleaning team and among the rubbish found washed up was part of an old rowing boat and an anchor. The promenade has some minor litter on it but is being cleaned in due course." In Bournemouth, the first priority was to clear the promenade of debris by pushing everything onto the beach to be cleared away later.

Georgia Smith, Bournemouth Borough Council spokeswoman, said: "The severe weather over last week has seen a lot of debris washed up on the beach and subsequently blown onto the promenade.

"This debris has been placed back on the beach for two key reasons. Firstly, the prom is much busier than the beach itself at this time of year, and so it's important to keep it clear and useable for members of the public.

"Secondly, our beaches are cleaned mechanically and the debris can easily be picked up by the machines, making it much more efficient."

First published: November 4