THE Vale council has installed a sign at The Knap, in Barry, following reports that people have been travelling to the area and removing pebbles from pebbly beach.

Vale and Barry Town Baruc ward councillors Steffan Wiliam and Nic Hodges said they had received complaints from Knap residents about cars driving to the area and collecting pebbles in buckets before driving away.

Removing pebbles from the beach is illegal under the 1949 Coastal Erosion Act.

Cllr Wiliam said: “Residents have reported to us that cars are frequently turning up at The Knap, getting out and filling buckets up with pebbles.

“We’re sure that many are doing this with good intentions – to paint the pebbles or to give them to others.

“But taking pebbles away from the beach is not just harmful, it’s illegal.

“When they’ve seen them there, the police have told people to put pebbles back on the beach, and residents have explained the law to others they’ve seen.

“There are good reasons why the pebbles shouldn’t be removed, but it’s clear that the law is being broken, whether consciously or not, and we must do what we can to stop this damaging practice.”

Cllr Nic Hodges added: “Our beaches are among Barry’s greatest assets.

“We want them to be there forever as a place of natural beauty and to prevent future flooding and erosion.

“The Severn Channel has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world, and we need to keep Barry safe by keeping a watchful eye on loss of sand or pebbles from the beaches.

“Our beaches will be there for everybody to enjoy once this outbreak is over, so don’t take any of it home with you.”

A Vale council spokesman said: “It is actually illegal to remove stones from a beach under the 1949 Coastal Protection Act as doing so can accelerate coastal erosion.

“With this in mind the council discourages the removal of pebbles in an effort to protect the local environment.”