Storm Ciarán causes large sand shelf on Weymouth Beach

A shelf or wall in the sand has appeared on Weymouth Beach towards the Pavillion, caused by the backwash after Storm Ciarán caused high winds to blow eastwards across the bay.

In the aftermath, sand on the beach was pushed up towards the Esplanade, whilst a large amount of seaweed was left deposited on the sand.

The ledge sits around two feet high in places and stretches from the beach office on the Esplanade along to the Pavillion.

Between the Beach Office and the Jubilee Clock, sand was pushed up towards the back wall and onto the pavement.

Brian Hallworth, 71, regularly patrols the beach to pick up litter and plastic waste, he is known locally as the "Sheriff of the sea shore".

Brian said in the eight years he has spent picking up litter on the beach, he has learned how the sand can change during and after big storms.

He said: "This is a regular occurrence when we have a big storm, no matter what humans do, nature is so much stronger.

Brian Hallworth regularly visits Weymouth Beach to pick up litter (Image: Tom Lawrence)

"Different storms affect the beach in different ways.

"Easterly storms normally bring the debris up to the Pavillion, whereas south-westerly tend to leave them at the pier bandstand.

"When you have a strong easterly storm, like yesterday, it hits the Pavillion wall and causes a backwash.

"But the storm is still going the opposite way so you get two opposing forces and it pushes the sand right up to the wall."

The powerful winds and waves also carried a large quantity of litter and plastics onto the beach.

Brian added: "Even on mild storms the wash gets taken up to the wall near the clock tower.

"If you look at the seaweed, it is full of microplastics.

Brian was patrolling the beach with his dog May to pick up litter (Image: Tom Lawrence)

"It is almost as if there is more microplastic than seaweed.

Microplastics and litter in the seaweed on Weymouth Beach (Image: Tom Lawrence)

"The plastics are lighter than everything else so it all gets washed up to the top."

Weymouth Town Council said they have no plans to level out the sand on the beach after the storm.

A spokesperson for the Town Council said: "The shelf was created naturally following the recent high winds and storm and there are no plans to level it."