VISITORS to North Berwick are being urged to “leave nothing but footprints” on the town’s beaches by two residents who made some eye-catching signs.

The signs, in the shape of a huge footprint, were created by Jo Watt, of Dundas Road, and her neighbour, and funded by North Berwick Community Council.

Mrs Watt, a play practitioner at Law Primary School, said the mess left on the beach after lockdown was eased was “sad”.

She said: “I’ve lived here all my life and go down to the beach two or three times a week; sometimes, in the summer, every day and it just made me really sad.

“We love having these people in North Berwick but they need to tidy up.

“And obviously it’s not just people coming into North Berwick – it’s people from the town as well – and they should be looking after their beach.”

The materials for the signs – plywood, posts and yacht varnish – were funded by a £450 donation from North Berwick Community Council.

Judy Lockhart, community council chairwoman, said: “North Berwick is always very busy during July and August; however, this year, following lockdown and lots of restrictions still in place on travelling, even more people than usual have been visiting to enjoy a day at the beach as part of the ‘staycation’ trend.

“Litter is an ongoing problem in North Berwick and particularly during the summer months and we had received feedback from the community expressing disappointment that the situation was arising again.

“Community councillor Bill Macnair had spotted some litter signs in the shape of feet on a Facebook page – we thought that they looked super and if it would encourage people to remember to take home their litter and leave the beach as they found it, it was worth a go.”

The 10 signs have been located along the North Berwick coast, with the first one put in place at the east end of East Beach, off Haugh Road, on August 9.

Ms Lockhart added: “The signs have been really well received and we have had a lot of positive feedback since they have been put up.

“They are a bit of fun but with an important message behind them.

“Not only does leaving rubbish on the beach look untidy, it is also dangerous for wildlife so we hope that, after seeing the signs, people leave only their footprints in the sand.”

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “We are grateful to the vast majority of people who continue to enjoy our beaches and open spaces responsibly, including taking their litter home.

“We know that many visitors bring bags in which litter can be placed and taken away. The ‘leave nothing but footprints’ sign helps highlight how everyone can play their part in keeping the area clean. The council continues to clean beaches and, generally speaking, we tend to remove less rubbish when compared to years gone by.”