A LITTER-picking pensioner says he wants to be arrested for fly-tipping after dumping piles of waste he feels is plaguing one of the region’s best beaches.

Geoff Lilley visits Seaton Carew beach every morning but has recently become disgusted at the amount of rubbish strewn across the sand, believed to be from a storm overflow pipe.

He says he regularly picks up used toiletry items and has now decided to take matters into his own hands after what he says is a lack of action by the council and Northumbrian Water.

And on Monday, Geoff dumped a bag of rubbish outside the Northumbrian Water depot at Seaton Carew as he demands for the authorities to clean up the mess.

The 71-year-old said: "Time after time I’m picking up so much litter off the beach. We’re right in the middle of the tourist season and it’s just not on.

"I usually put it in the bin and get on with my day but I dumped all the rubbish and reported it to Hartlepool Council for fly-tipping.

"I’ve reported myself to them and I want to be prosecuted for it because I’ve done a terrible thing. I want to go to court.

"I don’t see any other cause of action other than for me to be the fly-tipper and to get prosecuted."

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Also an avid sea swimmer, Geoff said he will continue to fly-tip - and report himself to the council - every time he collects a new bag of beach litter.

"The council have a policy that they will always prosecute fly-tippers, so I want them to do what it says on the tin," he said.

"If I get fined I will not be paying the fine."

Hartlepool Borough Council said the authority has invested in specialised equipment, including a new beach cleaning machine and a number of high-tech “Big Belly” litter bins.

“We are amazed that Mr Lilley thinks that deliberately dumping litter in this way is acceptable," a spokesperson added.

"His actions are completely at odds with his concern for the environment. The council does not drop litter, but it spends a lot of time and money cleaning it up. We would urge people to support us by always ensuring that they dispose of their litter responsibly.

Northumbrian Water said its storm overflow drains usually discharge water and waste into the environment after heavy rainfall.

A spokeswoman added: “Unfortunately this is a reminder of what can happen when items like wipes are flushed down the toilet.

"We know it is not nice for people to find some of these ‘unflushables’ and we empathise with the concerns that Mr Lilley has, and are sorry to anyone who has experienced this when visiting the beach.

"We carry out regular checks of the beach at Seaton Carew and clean up any debris as soon as possible."

“Unfortunately this is a reminder of what can happen when items like wipes and period products are flushed down the toilet – as they do not disintegrate and can cause blockages in the system. Once our sewers are blocked there is an increased risk of sewer flooding to people’s homes or pollution to our environment.”

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