Europe's 'worst EVER plastic nurdle incident' sparks huge 'People's Army' response on UK river

Europe's 'worst EVER plastic nurdle incident' sparks huge 'People's Army' response on UK river The Port of Tyne met with green campaigners for the first time this week, and was now backing a multi-agency clean-up “where safe to do so”, after a billion plastic pellets washed up A "People's Army" is tackling - what has been described as - Europe’s worst ever nurdle pollution incident. Campaigners urged volunteers to help after a billion plastic pellets ended up in the River Tyne. The Port of Tyne met with green campaigners for the first time this week. The body is now backing the river clean-up, but only “where it is safe to do so”. It followed an open letter from the group, which wanted to remove the nurdles from beaches. The ‘Nurdle Clean Up Communities’ of North Shields, South Shields, Northumberland and Sunderland, combined more than 2,000 signatures. Their letter went to Port of Tyne CEO, Matt Beeton. Thousands of volunteers have since turned out to collect the pellets on beaches. Spokesperson Katie Bryson said: "Sadly it was the only way they would get cleaned up. The authorities were saying 'don't do it,' but Surfers Against Sewage urged their members to act. Thousands of people have been down on their hands and knees clearing up the beaches." The group has expressed its “outrage” over what it deemed the Port Of Tyne’s “inadequate response” to the incident on Sunday July 19. It involved a collision between two ships and the collapsing of a gantry crane. One port worker was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. An estimated one billion nurdle plastic pellets spilled into the water from one of the vessels involved in the incident. Nurdles are tiny disc-shaped plastic pellets that act as the raw material to manufacture most plastic products. Animals can easily mistake them for food with deadly consequences, campaigners say. The environmental charity Fidra, which worked to end plastic and chemical pollution, said nurdles were a global problem. Last year it found plastic nurdles at 84% of the UK’s sites of special scientific interest. The Port of Tyne, HM Coastguard, the Environment Agency, local councils and specialist contractors were all involved in what has been called “a coordinated multi-agency effort” to clean up after the spill. Port of Tyne Chief Executive Matt Beeton welcomed community volunteers in a meeting on Monday. Mr Beeton said: “It was fantastic to begin a dialogue that will be so important as we all come together in the continued cleanup operation. In that sense the meeting strengthened those relationships as we work together for the best outcomes for the whole region.” He added: “It has been a complex and difficult two weeks. I am proud of our staff for the way they have responded to what was a traumatic event. It was great to speak to local people to share what happened and help them understand how we responded and why. "Now that the salvage operation has passed a critical stage, we are putting plans in place to invite the community to help in a safe and managed way. The solution will be in conversation with volunteers who will play a major role in deciding what we do and how we do it, as well as taking part in the continued cleanup."