Don't make waves: how to be an ethical beachcomber

A holidaymaker has been threatened with a fine for pinching pebbles, but there are some things we are encouraged to take from our beachesA holidaymaker has been ordered to return a bag of pebbles to the Cornish beach they were taken from, or pay a ?1,000 fine. This is troubling. When I put on my coat this morning - not worn since a trip to the seaside - I found in the pocket one piece of quartzite, two sandstone pebbles and a battered whelk shell. (It was the coat I wore for this article.) I hadn't realised I was a "pebble plunderer"; I thought I just liked picking up the odd stone. So is there a way to beachcomb legally and ethically? Continue reading...