Popular Norfolk beach to increase litter fines to a whopping £500 as appalling beachgoer mess leaves locals 'lost for words'

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 07:21 EDT, 8 September 2026 | Updated: 07:23 EDT, 8 September 2026 A popular spot along the beautiful Norfolk coastline loved for its beaches could be set to increase fines for littering in the area. Currently, the highest charge for fixed penalty notices issued by North Norfolk District Council is £80.But the local authority is expected to increase this to the maximum amount – a whopping £500. Meanwhile, the maximum fee for fly-tipping could go up from £300 to £1,000. Callum Ringer, a member of the council's cabinet who covers waste services, revealed that there is 'real frustration in communities' about littering and fly-tipping. He told the BBC: 'These heftier fines will hopefully make people think twice before they commit any of these offences.' North Norfolk could be set to increase fines for littering to help protect its beaches, including Cromer, pictured Cromer resident Tony Bates set up a litter-picking group after the beach was trashed during a heatwave in MayNorth Norfolk has 45 miles of stunning shores, including Cromer, Sheringham and West Runton, drawing in visitors from across the country.However, it seems not every beachgoer leaves the sand how they found it, and after the heatwave in May a two-day operation took place to clean up Cromer beach.It seems some locals are sick of the mess. One Cromer resident, Tony Bates, even set up a litter-picking group. Mr Bates said locals were 'embarrassed' by the mess left following one of the many 30-degree heatwaves experienced this summer, and soon had 45 people sign up to join his group. 'We've been doing two picks a week [collecting] bagfuls and bagfuls of rubbish,' Mr Bates told the publication.'You walk around, there are tourists and locals all saying "well done".'A North Norfolk District Council spokesman told the Daily Mail: 'Increasing the fixed penalty notices to the statutory maximums would send out a strong message on littering and fly tipping, and act as a deterrent to environmental waste crime in North Norfolk. 'The proposed increases are proportionate and will play an important part in the wider campaign to raise awareness about the damage caused by littering.'North Norfolk District Council shared an update on social media in May after Cromer beach was left a mess, and asked people to 'dispose of waste responsibly'.'Following the bank holiday weekend, additional cleaning crews were called to Cromer today to clear up a significant volume of litter left behind on the beach,' the council said. A two-day clean-up operation previously took place at Cromer beach with the help of North Norfolk District Council'Amongst the waste collected included broken glass bottles and foil packaging - some of it concealed in the sand and posing a risk of injury to beach-goers and animals.'The local authority revealed the clean-up operation would continue the following day 'to address the remaining litter'.The beach was left in disarray despite additional bins being placed in the area ahead of the bank holiday. Jill Boyle, a Cromer councillor, told the BBC she was 'lost for words' over the state of the beach and had picked up some of the litter during her dog walk. A council spokesman said at the time: 'While there was no monetary cost to the additional crew being diverted to clean it up, it did mean that there were service pressures at other locations.'