A council is promising to investigate after piles of rubbish were found strewn across Margate beach at the weekend.

The leader of the council has slammed the culprits saying the mess left behind on Saturday was "shocking and heartbreaking".

Cllr Bob Bayford said bins stood empty while more than 20 tonnes of litter was scattered all over the Main Sands and seafront after an event on the beach attended by some 500 people.

The council says it removed six gazebos, a seven-and-a-half tonne caged vehicle and beach cleaners filled 75 bags of litter from the beach.

All the bins along the promenade filled a seven-and-a-half tonne compactor twice, a four-and-a-half tonne mechanical sweeper used along the seafront was also filled up and a tractor used to rake the sand collected a further tonne of rubbish.

Cllr Bayford is now urging visitors and event organisers to do more to take responsibility for removing litter and picking up rubbish.

He said: "We love to see people enjoying our beautiful sandy beaches but the mess that was left on Saturday was shocking and heartbreaking to see.

"Our street cleansing teams work incredibly hard, out in the district seven days a week from 6am to 8pm in the summer months.

"Margate Main Sands was spotless when people arrived on Saturday and was spotless again by 8:30am the next morning.

"There were a number of groups on the beach on Saturday and permission had been granted for a 500 person event, at the Nayland Rock end.

"Despite the provision of commercial bins and bags by the council as well as empty bins on the promenade, there was still a huge volume of litter left on the beach.

"As a result, we are reviewing CCTV footage to identify those responsible with a view to enforcement action and liaising with the event organiser."

Pictures emerged on social media at the weekend of piles of rubbish strewn across the sand.

The images have provoked angry reactions from furious residents.

The leader reminded beachgoers it is their "obligation to leave the beach as they found it" and to leave "nothing but footprints" on the beach.

"It’s alarming that despite global awareness of the importance of protecting our natural environment, particularly from plastic waste, we are seeing a total lack of regard from some beach users," Cllr Bayford said.

"Sadly this issue is not unique to Margate and we have recently launched our Beauty of the Beach public education campaign in partnership with the Environment Agency and Southern Water highlighting the devastating impact of dropping litter.

"Using the beach responsibly and making the choice to use another bin nearby or taking rubbish home makes a real difference.

"There are no excuses for people to abdicate responsibility and leave their litter behind."

Residents walking along the beach have promised to carry out beach cleans to help tidy the sands.

Margate builder Sam Bennett collected three bags when he walked his dog early on Thursday morning - following the first of two sunny, hot days during last week's heatwave.

Head to our politics page for expert analysis and all the latest news from your politicians and councils

Read more: All the latest news from Thanet