A mum-of-two fears someone will be hurt because of rubbish and broken glass being left on a former award winning Sheppey beach.

Stephanie Heaton said she frequently finds smashed bottles and litter on the seafront near the Catholic Church when she takes her two sons, Jack, 10, and Connor, six, in the afternoons.

The 32-year-old said: “I used to be able to go there with my mum and she would allow me to go wherever I wanted, as long as she could see me and I wasn’t near the water.

“Now, with my children, I have to scour the beach and make sure there is nothing there. They can’t go off because of the amount of rubbish and broken glass.

“People have got no respect at the moment for the beach. A couple of people I have spoken to have also noticed a lot more glass. It is going to cause someone damage.”

The stay-at-home mum, of Berridge Road, Sheerness, is calling for more patrols along the beach and for people to report when they see people drinking in the area.

Sheerness beach was given a Quality Coast Award by Keep Britain Tidy in 2011.

A Swale council spokesman said: “Environment Wardens do patrol this area whether it is during the day or evenings when on a late duty, and would challenge anti-social behaviour.

“The area concerned is an Alcohol Control Zone which means that as long as people are behaving in an appropriate manner they are allowed to drink.

“If it is found that people are behaving in an anti-social manner a police officer can require a person to cease drinking alcohol in the public place and can confiscate and dispose of the alcohol.”