Both Seaton Carew beach and the Fish Sands, on the Headland, were left covered in litter following the hot May weekend.
Hartlepool Borough Council said it had to redeploy its full street cleansing team to clear the mess.
A spokesperson for the council said: “We’ve had some fantastic weather over the last few days -, and Seaton Carew and the Headland are some of the best places in the region to enjoy it.”
However, the council said the mess left behind was “completely unacceptable.”
The spokesperson went on: “Our entire street cleansing team had to be redeployed yesterday to clear the beach. That meant staff, who should have been keeping our town centres and neighbourhoods clean, were taken away to deal with a mess that simply shouldn’t have been left in the first place.”
The council emphasised that extra bins had been provided and reminded visitors to take rubbish home if bins are full.
The spokesman added: “If you can bring food, drinks, chairs, tents and disposable items to the beach, you can take your rubbish home. We are proud to have an award-winning seaside beach, and we are absolutely determined to keep it clean, safe and welcoming for families and visitors.”
The council also thanked volunteers from the Hartlepool Big Town Tidy Up who helped with the post-Bank Holiday clean-up.
