Sand from Britains best beach being sold for profit and destroying the shore

Angry residents are campaigning to stop officials taking sand from ‘Britain’s best beach’ — and selling it on for profit.Locals say the once tranquil sands of Hayle in Cornwall have seen tons of sand removed “day and night with no thought for the environmental repercussions.”Resident Sophie Daniels has launched a petition on change.org pleading for the sand removal to cease immediately.It has so far reached 1,830 signatures of its 2,500 target.Sophie says her roots are deeply ingrained in Hayle Beach where she grew up and witnessed the rich bio-diversity of the local ecosystem.Authorities say the sand is sold to local firms but is only being dredged as part of a legal requirement to keep ”a safe channel for fishing and sailing boats to navigate”.But Sophie says the sand is being ”mined for profit” and is calling the community to act and stop the once-tranquil beach from being destroyed any further.Her petition states: “Hayle Beach, a gem of Cornwall and voted Best Beach in the UK by The Times, deserves to be protected and nurtured, not exploited.“The beach is suffering as tonnes of sand is removed day and night, sold for profit with no thought of the environmental repercussion.“Our plea is simple: cease the sand mining immediately.“This isn’t merely about preserving our beach for recreational purposes, it’s about safeguarding our ecosystem, our local community, and our future.”Sophie argues these works pose a ‘serious threat’ to the environment.She adds: “The often cited study in the Journal of Coastal Research has consistently shown that sand mining impacts coastal and marine biodiversity and flood defences.“This is an important area not just for me but for the entire community of Cornwall.“In recent times, our once tranquil beach is suffering as tonnes of sand are removed day and night, sold for profit with no thought of the environmental repercussions.“Authorities justify the mining, claiming it is necessary for keepi...