Students at St Andrews University have been given a stern reminder of their responsibilities after beaches were littered with broken glass and plastic at the weekend.
Anger is growing in the town after the St Andrews Castle Sands was trashed in the early hours of Sunday as students celebrated the end of semester, with post-party bottles, cans, debris, excrement and even a tent found left on the beach following a bonfire.
The institution’s proctor and senior vice-principal Lorna Milne has moved to curb the actions of what she called “a few inconsiderate groups of students” which are spoiling the enjoyment of the town for others.
The Courier understands an e-mail has been sent to the whole student body urging them not to use glitter and unsustainable substances during the tradition of “dunking” at the end of term, to refrain from causing a nuisance to other people, and to clean up after themselves.
“Poor behaviour of this kind is completely unacceptable: it causes a nuisance to the town, and is extremely bad for the environment,” the vice-principal added.
“I’m sorry to be writing to you in these terms at an otherwise pleasant time of year, and trust I can count on you to ensure that the end of semester goes smoothly from now on.”
The advice comes after the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust wrote to the university asking it to take immediate action over the matter.
Residents, visitors and the leader of the local Explorer Scout group have all complained about the mess which left the beach unsuitable and unsafe, while the St Andrews Environmental Network has also complained about the mess left behind following the dunking season.
The tradition entails pouring flour, beans, plastic glitter, eggs and alcohol over final year students who then have a quick dip in the sea to wash the material off, but volunteers have already been forced to make multiple visits to clean the beach afterwards.
A spokesperson for the St Andrews Environmental Network said: “The mess from the dunking tradition last year took at least two months for the stain and smell to dissipate to the point where you could walk by without gagging or contaminating your shoes.
“We are all up for some high spirits and having a party but in this case perfectly good food is being wasted that could go to the needy and our local environment is being damaged.
“Dunking, in our minds, is ethically questionable considering the university’s pedigree for recycling and other environmentally positive issues.”
North East Fife MP Stephen Gethins described the behaviour as “unacceptable”, adding: “It is great that the recent spell of good weather has meant people can be outside more and, of course, beach parties will result in waste being created but people need to take this home with them or find a proper way of disposing of their rubbish.
“Everyone has to play their part in protecting our beaches and the environment of the town but unfortunately things seem to be getting out of hand at the moment.”
Local councillor Ann Verner pointed out that it was not just students, but stressed that anyone involved should take responsibility.
“The beaches are one of the town’s greatest assets and visitors and local people should be able to enjoy them,” she continued.
And fellow St Andrews councillor Brian Thomson noted: “Given its secluded and sheltered nature, the Castle Sands has long been a popular spot for beach parties, although the most recent mess has been about as bad as I’ve seen.
“Whilst it would appear that this particular mess has mainly been the result of some students’ end of semester celebrations, it needs to be emphasised that those participating were only a tiny proportion of the students who study and live in the town. Also, given that the debris from parties is often evident throughout the summer months, the problem is clearly not just the result of students’ parties.
“The university’s swift response, of writing to all St Andrews students, and offering to assist the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust with the clean up, is to be commended and – whilst a lack of resources is an issue – maybe a review of what measures public agencies can take to better monitor the area, particularly during the summer months, needs to be carried out.”
