A VOLUNTEER beach surveyor has questioned the logic of fly-tippers after a large amount of burnt out waste was found on a popular Aberystwyth beach.

Speaking to the Cambrian News as part of the Keep Aber Tidy campaign, Peter Drake, who carries out a quarterly survey of Tan-y-bwlch beach for the Marine Conservation Society, said he is encouraged by the level of environmental activism in Aberystwyth despite worrying global trends.

But after discovering around 12kg of illegally dumped waste, including paint tins and aerosol cans, at the beach before starting the survey on Saturday, 7 January, Mr Drake said he found the offence “confusing” given there is a recycling centre in Aberystwyth which is free-of-charge.

More worrying, Mr Drake said he and other volunteers arrived at the beach to find waste had been dumped and set alight at the survey area.

“Unfortunately, on Saturday, someone had fly-tipped 12kg of tins of paint and aerosols on the beach at some point prior to the survey,” added Mr Drake.

“Whoever did it must have moved the barrier and driven all the way down to where the sea defence is.

“The rest of the beach wasn’t that bad.

“To drive all that way to set fire to these items is confusing when the items could have been recycled for free at the recycling centre.”

For the full story and more coverage of our Keep Aber Tidy campaign, see this week’s south editions of the Cambrian News