A ROW broke out last week between Barry Island traders and the deputy leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council over rubbish-strewn across Whitmore Bay.

Councillor Lis Burnett tweeted that takeaway businesses operating on Barry Island be stopped until litter is reduced following the shocking scenes on Tuesday July 19.

O'Shea's Fish and Chip cafe had earlier captured 'shocking' and 'embarrassing' litter pictures, and uploaded them onto Twitter to raise awareness, tagging cllr Burnett in the process.

But her reply: "Should we stop selling take-aways until people stop littering #justsaying", provoked anger from traders, with O'Shea's hitting back, "Don't blame the people who sell it! #Ridiculouscomment #worktogether #EducateToParticipate".

Craig O'Shea, owner of O'Shea's Fish and Chip cafe, said he was 'surprised' by cllr Burnett's response.

"It was a ridiculous remark to make - and I am still surprised by it," he added this week.

"Traditionally, people come to a seaside town - like ours - to enjoy fish and chips by the sea. If takeaway businesses were stopped on Barry Island, it would have a really negative and damaging impact on us all.

"Businesses cannot be held responsible for a few people's actions.

"The problem of litter needs addressing as soon as possible for the long term future success of the island. Ignoring a problem does not solve it."

One Twitter user argued that the time had come for beach patrols to be introduced, in a bid to solve the problem.

Cllr Burnett said about the spat this week: “The council, local traders, and visitors all have a responsibility to ensure Barry Island is kept clean.

"While some people were quick to point the finger and allocate blame last week, I took a more constructive route by trying to kick-start a discussion about how we can work better together to address the problem of littering.

"I am happy to report that I have since received a number of suggestions of how we can best solve this problem in partnership.”