A fundraiser launched as a thank you to a council beach cleaner caught on camera as he battled against a tide of litter at Margate Main Sands in June has raised £700.
Pizza pop-up business owner Jools Moore set up the fund after seeing photos by resident Frank Leppard and the article in The Isle of Thanet News showing the council employee in the thankless task.
People across the isle hailed the worker as a hero and said he should get a medal but Jools came up with the fundraiser to buy the worker and his cleaning crew colleagues a few pints.
The funds have now been handed over to the hard-working crew.
Margate dad-of-one Jools said: “It was nice to meet Luke and the team from TDC’s beach clean squad and present them with the money raised by the local people. These guys do such a great job and it’s amazing how the town got behind this fundraiser to buy them a drink! They are the unrecognised heroes of Thanet and I’m very happy to have been able to put a smile on their faces.”
Cllr Reece Pugh, Deputy Leader of Thanet District Council said: “I would like to extend my thanks to our brilliant beach cleansing team for their continued hard work and dedication in often challenging conditions. The response from the public has been overwhelming and I know how touched all our operational staff have been by the appreciation. A big thank you to Jools and everyone who contributed so generously to the fund.”