Huge clean-up as plastic discs are washed ashore

PLASTIC discs from a wastewater treatment works in Swansea washed up in large numbers on the city’s beach and also on beaches in Gower and Neath Port Talbot.

- RICHARD YOULE

Welsh Water said they spilled from the treatment works off Fabian Way following a power failure which coincided with increased wastewater flows, and that measures have been put in place to stop it happening again.

Chloe Stacey, of Killay, she said came across a mass of them on Swansea beach.

"Thousands is an understatement - they absolutely plagued the high tide line," she said. "They're so small, anything could eat them."

She said separating ones caught up in seaweed or other debris would need to be done by hand.

Welsh Water said most of the pound coin-sized discs have been picked up following the incident late last month and staff and volunteers were checking to see if more needed retrieving.

People have described seeing them on beaches at Langland, Caswell, Three Cliffs, Pwll Du, Tor Bay, Oxwich, Pobbles, Port Eynon, Mewslade, Slade and Rhossili, all in Gower.

Chris Maskell said: "I did a litter pick in Port Eynon on October 19 and picked up dozens, but most were wrapped up and trapped in seaweed."