BCP Council and the RNLI have urged beachgoers to dispose of barbecues and rubbish properly after a visitor to Dorset was rushed to hospital after stepping on a buried barbecue on Bournemouth beach.

Claire Stoackley from Wiltshire required five stitches after standing on a barbecue hidden in the sand west of Bournemouth pier at 10.30am on Friday June 4.

She said: “I'd taken my seven-year-old and 10-year-old out for the day whilst my husband was at work.

“Unfortunately, someone had buried a barbecue under the sand, and I trod on it, cutting my toe and foot open - resulting in needing first aid from lifeguards.

“I was lucky that another lady on the beach saw that my foot was bleeding heavily and went to get assistance from the lifeguards.”

The mother of two was rushed to hospital where she was given a tetanus booster and five stitches in her right foot.

She has been told that the stitches will need to stay in for 14 days, during which time she will need to use crutches.

 

Bournemouth Echo: Claire Stoackley from Wiltshire required five stitches after standing on a barbecue hidden in the sand on Bournemouth beach at 10.30am on Friday June 4

Claire added: “I was by myself on the beach with my two children - thankfully it was me that stood on it and not a child.

“It's been a painful experience for me, and from now on we will all be wearing beach shoes on any beach.

“I would ask that people just dispose of their barbecues correctly and think about others.”

BCP Council and the RNLI have advised people to show more care when disposing of barbecues on the beach for the safety of other beach users.

Bournemouth Echo:

Councillor Mohan Iyengar, Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Leisure and Culture: “We welcome the responsible use of barbecues on our beaches, and we want people to enjoy themselves providing it’s not a nuisance to others and they are doing so safely and respectfully.

“This means lighting barbecues after 6pm only, and if using disposable ones then making sure they are completely cooled before leaving them next to the bins on the promenade to be collected by our waste collection teams.

“We have signage in place across our seafront advising people on the safe use and disposal of barbecues and would urge all beach users to follow this.

“As part of this year’s seasonal response plan we are piloting electric barbecues along the promenade which provide an alternative to the use of disposable ones.”

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Paul Dunt, from the RNLI, added: “We advise people to clean up their rubbish from the beach when they leave and dispose of it properly or take any rubbish home with you.

“The reason we want people to take rubbish home and not leave it on the beach is because our lifeguards are very happy to treat people for first aid, but they also need to keep watch on the beach and out in the water.

“We strongly encourage those using barbecues on the beach to not bury disposable barbecues or scatter hot coals on the beach, particularly at a time when beaches are at their busiest.”