The morning after Britain witnessed its first proper solar eclipse since August 1999, streets in London and elsewhere were left strewn with abandoned Lime bikes and rubbish as spectators rushed to secure prime viewing spots. Millions watched the sun disappear behind the moon, with the partial eclipse beginning shortly after 6pm and maximum coverage occurring between roughly 7.05pm and 7.13pm depending on location, but the clean-up operation that followed highlighted the less glamorous side of the mass gathering.

Photos from popular spots such as Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill showed rows of toppled e-bikes littering the pavements, while litter pickers in West Moors, Dorset, filled 13 bags of rubbish and a single collector in Hartlepool filled three more. A pub in Greater Manchester threatened to bar customers who left mess behind after a nature viewpoint was trashed. Separately, concerns emerged that eclipse glasses bought in bulk could end up in landfill, as their polymer-filter lenses cannot be recycled, while Google searches for "eyes hurt" rose 5,000 per cent as some viewers reported eye pain from looking directly at the sun.