Brighton beach has seen an influx of ‘random’ items wash up (stock) (Image: Nickos via Getty Images)
Beachgoers at a popular UK seaside destination were baffled after a succession of “random” objects kept appearing on the shoreline.
Cornwall’s beaches still see regular arrivals of Lego bricks, remnants of a container ship incident involving the plastic building blocks back in 1997. However, a distinctly different spillage is now impacting the East Sussex coastline, as Brighton resident Wednesday Holmes uncovered last week.
“This evening, quite randomly lots of fresh produce has washed up on the beach – I’m assuming it’s from a catering department of a ship,” she explained in a TikTok clip. Upon opening one of the mesh sacks containing celeriac, Wednesday proceeded to notice individual cabbages, onions and limes strewn along the beach.
“There’s not much of a bounty on this side, but on the other side of the beach where more and more people are appearing there’s big, fat sweet potatoes, oranges and lemons,” she added.
Wednesday further revealed that fellow residents had discovered unopened bottles of gin and beer amongst the debris. “It’s really odd,” she remarked. “I just bumped into another dog walker and he’s collecting the lime so that he can take it home to make a lime chutney.”
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She closed by telling her her followers that a second dog walker had suggested the goods had been jettisoned into the sea by a vessel near the Isle of Wight.
Jess Glynn, meanwhile, was also among those present at Brighton beach on the same day. “Your eyes don’t deceive you – those are onions you’re seeing in Brighton and Hove!” she declared in her own video.
She continued: “This is incredibly random, but there are onions washing up in Brighton right now. The cargo ship was completely full of fresh produce… there’s carrots, onions, potatoes and full-on bags of coconuts, milk and cans of beer… everything is just washing up.”
On a more serious note, however, Jess encouraged others to assist in collecting the items, noting that local authorities were particularly interested in gathering “anything that doesn’t decompose”. Indeed, after returning home with a bucket full of waste including plastic, rope and polystyrene, she urged: “If you can pick up just one thing it will make a massive difference.”
Writing in response, one TikTok user shared photographic proof, stating: “My sister also found a case or Thai lager, some plastic gloves and face masks.” Another person reported: “They are all over Seaford/Newhaven too, I feel like I’ve watched too much walking dead as I’m like ooh they would love finding that food.”
A third added: “Not just Brighton. There’s onions, plastic cups and hand sanitiser containers spread all along the East and West Sussex coast.” Whilst a fourth TikTok user joked: “Was there a leek in the container?”
Echoing Jess’ warning, Brighton and Hove City Council has issued a statement following the spill, commenting online: “Council teams have been working to clear the seafront and keep residents safe over the last few days, following shingle and debris washing up as a result of Storm Goretti. The storm brought high tides and strong winds, pushing large amounts of shingle around, including onto promenades and access points.”
It continued: “The situation has been compounded by shipping containers that fell from a vessel near the Isle of Wight last year being washed up along the south coast. Due to the storm, consumer items and food goods have come ashore in Brighton and Hove this week.”
And the local authortiy further warned: “While the materials themselves are not hazardous, there is a high risk of contamination from the seawater and broken parts of the container. Please do not put yourself at risk.
“Council teams and contractors are clearing the debris where it is safe to and logging the items found. This will take time due to the amount of items, as well as the size and weight of some of the bulky pieces of container, and the way it has spread along the coast.”