A CONCERNED resident has voiced concern about the state of the beach in Musselburgh, branding it the “black sands”.

John Thomson said the area, which resembled a “flattened coal bing”, was a “lost asset”, covered in seaweed, stones, litter and dog dirt.

He said that he and his wife noticed the state of the beach while on a recent walk along the promenade, during which they spoke to another resident who had similar concerns.

He said that one woman wouldn’t even walk her dog there for fear of broken glass, while another was picking up rubbish.

Mr Thomson said: “It is nothing against the council because it has got restricted financial budgets, but how long do you leave it? The tides will be causing it but it is a mess. We have walked here umpteen years, I love walking along there but at one time it was dog poo that you had to dodge, now it’s litter and natural effluent landing on the beach. No one seems to bother.”

He highlighted the lack of litter bins, adding: “The beach is a lost asset. If this is tidal, all they can do is regularly clear it up.”

Another dog walker, who did not want to be named, claimed the beach should be cleaned at least once a month.

“They are never going to stop this because this is the tide, bringing all the debris in with it. But it doesn’t come in further up unless it is really bad weather. [They could] clean up the dunes and made that a bit you could sit at,” he said.

He added that the nearby Back Sands was how a beach should look.

Mr Thomson said that the Back Sands, although in a better condition, also needed attention on occasions when it was affected by debris.

He suggested that local volunteers might be willing to get involved to help clean the beach on a regular basis with black bags and gloves supplied by the council.

A spokeswoman for East Lothian Council said: “Musselburgh beaches receive significant council support over the year but much of the cleaning work is focused between the months of May to September, when it is most of benefit to local residents and visitors.

“The areas receive three visits per week to hand collect any man-made rubbish – plastics, bottles, cans – and occasional visits by appropriate machinery to remove excessive or nuisance deposits of natural flotsam such as seaweed and timbers.

“The beach-cleaning patterns applied are discussed and agreed with the local community via the Fisherrow Waterfront Group, who recognise that the previous pattern of weekly mechanical removal of natural detritus is neither sustainable from a financial perspective, nor warranted from an environmental viewpoint.

“Should conditions dictate, then the council still deploy machinery over the winter months to remove any significant deposits and also reshape the profile of the beach to minimise flooding, and maintain access to the various clubs that use the area. “The council has also instructed urgent repairs to a dangerous exposed drainage pipe that dissects the west beach and is seeking quotations to deliver a pedestrian access to the beach from Murdoch’s Green. “Funding has come about partly as a result of a more efficient ‘needs-based’ cleaning programme agreed with key groups and deployed over the last couple of years.

“No specific complaints have been received by the council in recent weeks, so the exact nature and justification for this complaint is unclear. Indeed, user groups have indicated at recent meetings a continued appreciation of both the approach taken by the council to maintain these areas and our responsiveness to any issues brought to our attention.”