Tourists brave Devon beach entirely covered in bright green seaweed
Tourists looking for a nice day at the beach in Devon were shocked to find the sand entirely covered by half a mile of algae.
Hoping to enjoy the balmy weather families headed to Preston Beach, near Torquay, Devon, and found the seaweed covering the whole beach.
Some people made the effort to dig through the four-inch thick stinking slime to find a patch of sand to sit on.
Others gave up and complained to the council for not clearing it as they usually do.
Local resident Carol Greechan, who headed to the beach with her two grandchildren, told the Mirror: "I've been going there for 30 years and I've never seen it so bad.
"It was crispy on top and slimy underneath. The smell was absolutely revolting but the colour was remarkable.
"It was heartbreaking – we had to dig a little hole to find some sand in a pool of seaweed."
A spokesman for Torbay Council said the beaches were cleaned on a rota system and Preston had not been scheduled for a clean that day.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the spokesman said: "There is a rota for beach cleaning - usually three beaches each day - and Preston is cleared on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Fridays, depending on the suitability of the tides and how busy the beach is.
"It is widely understood that the tide and the sea will generate this natural occurrence, especially in the summer.
"Torbay Council has a reliable and appropriate system in place for its removal with minimal disruption to beach users."
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