Surfer Darren Veal told to move surfboard in East Runton

So it is understandable that 46-year-old surfer Darren Veal was more concerned than most when his favourite beach lost its Blue Flag status after concerns were raised around water quality. 

Mr Veal, who lives in Holt, decided to send a message about the importance of protecting the marine environment in the form of a surfboard hung on a cliffside fence. 

But the seaside protest then hit a snag - North Norfolk District Council took it away as he did not have permission to put it there. 

Mr Veal said: “I put the surfboard on the fence as you walk down the steps to the beach, with a message: East Runton surfers want to end sewage pollution' and some other different things on there.

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“All I was trying to do was raise awareness for the issues that we have.” 

Darren Veal with the surfboard in its new location (Image: Supplied by Darren Veal)

Mr Veal said he eventually understood why the authority removed the surfboard after initially being "quite aggrieved".

He said: “They told me that it could incite people or get a negative reaction to the message, in the same way that Just Stop Oil has.”

Mr Veal said after he collected the surfboard, he was allowed to put it up on a fence nearby, a caravan site which a friend of his owns. 

Mr Veal said pollution on north Norfolk’s beaches was “nowhere near” as bad it was in past times.

He said: “In the early 90s we had a real problem - you would paddle out and find condoms, tampax and things like that.

"I used to have hepatitis B jabs just to protect myself. If something isn’t done now, we could quite easily get back there.”

READ MORE: Meeting planned after three beaches lose Blue Flag status

A spokesman from the council said NNDC Mr Veal had been offered advice on the licensing required to affixing things for advertisement.

Late last year the Environment Agency changed the rating of East Runton, Mundesley and Sea Palling beaches from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’ meaning they could not apply for Blue Flag status this year.