Members of the public are being urged to be cautious as harmful plastic pellets are spotted on a number of Sunderland, South Tyneside and North Tyneside beaches.

It is believed that 25 tonnes of pellets, known as nurdles, fell into the sea following an incident at Tyne Dock, in South Shields, on Sunday, July 19, which saw a crane collapse.

Nurdles are tiny plastic pellets – usually between one and five millimetres in size – which are used as raw material to manufacture most plastic products.

Sunderland City Council have confirmed that “small amounts of pellets” have been found on Seaburn beach, in Sunderland, with clean-ups now underway.

Sunderland City Council have confirmed that “small amounts of pellets” on Seaburn beach have been reported, with clean-ups now underway. Photo credit Sunderland City Council.

placeholder image — Sunderland City Council have confirmed that “small amounts of pellets” on Seaburn beach have been reported, with clean-ups now underway. Photo credit Sunderland City Council.

A video is circulating on social media also showing pellets on Roker beach, in Sunderland, however, this has not been officially confirmed.

Pellets have also been found along the coast in Tyneside.

The council are urging the public to not touch the pellets on beaches and to keep dogs on leads.

Councils across the North East have been working closely with partner organisations, including the Environment Agency, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Port of Tyne, to assess the situation and support efforts to remove pellets from any areas where they are found.

The pellets have been described as “non-toxic”, meaning the risk to public health is low, however, they can pose a risk to animals and wildlife if ingested.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Agency said: "Although the public health risk remains low, the council advise residents and visitors not to handle any plastic pellets they may find.

"While the pellets are not considered toxic, they can pose a risk to wildlife if ingested and specialist recovery methods are needed to maximise the effectiveness of the clean-up while minimising further environmental harm.

"Please keep dogs on leads in affected areas and continue to follow advice from local authorities.”

Anyone who spots any pellets on the city's beaches or shoreline are asked to report them at https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/40713.

When reporting a sighting, members of the public are asked to include the location, date and time of discovery, approximate amount of pellets seen and a photo where possible.