‘They come here and rave about how stunning the place is and then ruin it by leaving their rubbish’
Dog poo bags at Llanbedrog beach(Image: Mererid Wyn)
It’s one of the most beautiful villages in Wales with a pristine sheltered beach overlooked by colourful beach huts. However the idyllic setting of Llanbedrog on the Llyn Peninsula is being marred by the inconsiderate actions of some visitors who are carelessly discarding filled dog poo bags and other litter throughout the village and even on its gorgeous beach.
While the issue of overflowing bins has been cited as a contributing factor many argue that this is no excuse for the blatant disregard displayed by some individuals. Some claim people are simply too lazy or disrespectful to try to find one.
The issue has led to the unpleasant sight of dog poo bags being abandoned on the beach, along pathways, and even outside a popular seafront café.
A recent photograph taken outside the Aqua café, showing a discarded dog waste bag, sparked a wave of complaints about the behaviour of a minority of visitors. Mererid Wyn, who captured the image, has been taking pictures to highlight the problem and expressed her frustration at the recurring problem, reports NorthWalesLive.
Dog poo bags being left on the beautiful beach is a recurring problem according to locals(Image: acceleratorhams via Getty Images)
She stated: “It’s the same every year during the busy season. People dumping their rubbish/poo bags at the entrance of the cafe or leaving it beside the bin.
“I don’t understand the mentality. Why would you put the poo in a bag to then just leave it somewhere? If the bin is full find one that isn’t or take it home.
“The same with general rubbish, they’ve carried the stuff to the beach why can’t they carry it home?
“They come here and rave about how stunning the place is and then ruin it by leaving their rubbish. And it’s not just our village – it’s a problem all over Pen Llŷn.”
Overflowing dog poo bins at Llanbedrog(Image: Mererid Wyn)
The majority of Llanbedrog’s beach, along with its primary car park, is owned by the National Trust. On the other hand Cyngor Gwynedd oversees the management of the bins. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
A National Trust Cymru spokesman said: “Cyngor Gwynedd regularly empty these dog waste bins. However, at peak times, they may fill up quickly and we encourage issues with dog fouling or dog waste bins to be reported via Gwynedd Council’s website.”
They added: “We do not provide public litter bins at Llanbedrog or any of our coastal sites across Llŷn. As a conservation charity we have limited funds for waste disposal and do not have the resources to monitor and empty them. Our teams and volunteers work incredibly hard to look after the area and do carry out regular litter-picks.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy this special place and encourage people visiting the beach and surrounding area to do so responsibly by taking any litter home to dispose of.”
A user responded to Mererid’s post on Abersoch Appreciation Page, stating: “Tourists this year are so disrespectful. The amount of people we get trying to break in to the farm sheds and trying to see what’s in the property itself is unbelievable.” They added that this particular occurrence seems confined to the tourism season.
Dog poo bag dumped outside a cafe in Llanbedrog(Image: Mererid Wyn)
Another said: “My husband cleared a load of dog poo bags and other rubbish from behind the toilets just above Aqua Bar last autumn. Can’t understand the mindset of some people who come to such a beautiful place but willingly desecrate it.”
The problem isn’t confined to Llanbedrog, according to one person who said: “It’s not just poo bags; in Abersoch village where there is literally a bin every 100 yards , people had just chucked fish and chip trays, cans, forks etc on the pavement floor overlooking the sea.
“I picked it all up and placed in a bin as the sheer disregard for how lovely the village is, the utter laziness of people made me so angry and I am a regular tourist, just could not allow myself to just walk past the rubbish. It’s not as if the area does not have bins on the beaches, in the car parks on the streets.. oh and then those who have drinks and vapes in the dunes? TAKE HOME your rubbish .. it’s rude and disrespectful to everyone else having to clear up your trash and it’s appalling for the environment.. rant over but makes me really cross.”
Cyngor Gwynedd were approached for a comment.