Thieves armed with hammers and fish slices have been spotted illegally swiping shellfish from a seafront beauty spot.

A gang of six men were reportedly seen collecting about eight bags full by scraping and chipping away at the chalk reef at the Western Undercliff in Ramsgate.

Wildlife Conservation in Thanet say the incidents are typically "gang-led" - with the harvest often being sold to restaurants.

It is understood the thieves were collecting mostly winkles, but also mussels and cockles during the incident on Sunday afternoon.

Laws are in place in the area to restrict commercial shellfish harvesting.

Signs along the seafront make it clear using tools to collect them are banned as they can damage the chalk reef.

Beach-goers must only collect for their own consumption - with the maximum limit being half a bucket.

A spokesman for WCT said: "Some large-scale illegal shellfish harvesting was witnessed [on Sunday afternoon] at Ramsgate's Western Undercliff.

"Six men were seen collecting approximately eight large bags of shellfish by scraping and chipping them from the chalk reef using hammers and fish slices.

"Our coastal ecosystem already faces enough problems from climate change and pollution this on top will simply wipe out the life on our 'protected' chalk reef.

"These activities are often gang-led and the harvest is often sold in restaurants.

"If you see this activity, please report it and take as many photos as you can."

In November 2020, families innocently collecting shellfish along the coast were abused and harassed by people accusing them of illegal harvesting.

Groups gathering small amounts of cockles, mussels and winkles on Thanet's beaches had been filmed by angry passers-by in some instances - mistaking them for commercial pickers.

People living in Thanet previously said large groups had been seen pitching pop-up tents and windbreaks, then filling buckets and sacks with crabs, cockles and other shellfish.

A spokesman for Thanet District Council said: "The Thanet Coast, as part of the North East Kent Marine Protected Area, is home to many species of shellfish.

"Laws exist to restrict commercial shellfish harvesting, to protect our coasts, chalk reefs and marine environment as well as to ensure that unsafe food does not enter the market.

"This incident has been reported to the council and to the Kent & Essex Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (K&E IFCA).

"Our public protection team works closely with the Food Standards Agency, Kent Police and other agencies and continues to collate and pass on any intelligence received.

"Our coastal codes allow people to collect limited quantities of shellfish for personal consumption.

"We recently installed new signage with guidance on permitted shellfish collection on key beaches, in conjunction with Natural England, the K&E IFCA, Kent Police and other key partner agencies."