The Belgian coastal city of Ostend, popular with tourists, has seen its beloved beach swamped in litter after day-trippers and tourists descended on it during the weekend's scorching weather.

Non-profit organisation Proper Strandlopers (Clean Beachgoers) collected 4,000 litres of waste on Monday evening, with similar scenes recorded in nearby Blankenberge.

The Deputy Mayor of Ostend expressed his upset at the mountains of debris left on the gorgeous beach.

“We do all we can to keep our beach clean but there is a lack of respect for our nature. We put extra bins, we deploy extra people to clean up and still beachgoers leave their rubbish behind. That makes me angry," said Kurt Claeys.

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A tourist captures the reality of a beach in Ostend, Belgium, highlighting how mass tourism can transform the environment. Reflect on the consequences of tourism and the management of public spaces. #Belgium #Ostend #Tourism pic.twitter.com/sCQTT2Go76

— CRN News (@CRNBreaking) August 14, 2024

According to Belga News Agency, 363,000 tourists made their way to the Belgian seaside over the weekend.

Shocking video footage showed rubbish being washed into the sea, with visitors packed tightly across the beach.

This isn't the first time Ostend's beach has been embroiled in controversy in recent weeks.

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In July, the Mayor imposed a ban on swimming across a 200-metre stretch of the beach.

Local leaders argued that swimming on the beach created ridges on the sand that were dangerous.

“There have been problems on that stretch of beach in the past,” said mayor Bart Tommelein to Flemish public broadcaster VRT. “Swimmers have got into trouble a few times. There have even been fatalities.”