Our picturesque seaside town was being ruined by posh tourists but we got our revenge – here’s how we keep them away
LOCALS say their seaside town was being ruined by posh tourists but they managed to get their revenge and keep them from returning.
Residents in the popular Cornish village of Polzeath resorted to drastic measures to monitor their beach after teens used the sands for parties, taking drugs and having sex.
In an attempt to put an end to the anti-social behaviour, two infrared cameras were set up and patrols were undertaken every night by a beach ranger and two local cops.
Retired local policeman and now a beach ranger Andy Stewart, 53, confirmed to the Daily Mail that the problems have eased and that there was no more “monitoring or enforcement”.
Earlier in July, he told BBC News: “We do not like the cameras, but they are a necessary evil.
“Sometimes you need to be more intrusive and find out what is going on.
“You cannot be in every place all the time and the cameras have proven their worth in their first two weeks.”
He previously told CornwallLive: “We want people to have an amazing time.
“Polzeath is a very popular Blue Flag beach and surf resort that attracts all different age groups.
“But it’s becoming known as a party town like Newquay was in the 90s when it became full of stag and hen dos.
“It took 10 years for Newquay to turn itself around and be known as a family-friendly place again.
“We don’t want Polzeath to go into decline because once it’s gone we’ll struggle to get our reputation back.”
Andy said this summer the street lights would be switched on at 1am and bin bags handed out to any remaining beach dwellers to clear up the mess.
He mainly blamed school children for the problems.
Andy claimed posh parents living in nearby villages “haven’t got a clue” what their kids are getting up to.
He said: “They think they are sending their kids to this utopia, where they are sitting on the beach, playing guitar and swapping phone numbers.
“They don’t realise there is excessive drinking, cocaine, nitrous oxide, underage sex and big fires.”
Images from the infra-red cameras show hundreds of teens gathering after dark on the beach.
Volunteer litter pickers have also reported finding alcohol containers, plastic drug bags, used condoms and underwear in recent weeks while on their rounds.
Now, with the state schools starting their summer holidays, the beach is very different and empties as the sun goes down.
Retired BT engineer Bob Keeling, 78, who has been coming to Polzeath for 40 years and volunteers for litter picking duties, told the Mail: “We always have trouble with them when we come down.
“Their attitude is they don’t care what they do because daddy will pay for it.”’People who run the campsites try to stop them staying because of the trouble they cause but they book under false names.
“They cause a lot of trouble stealing people’s gates and burning them – but it’s just for the two weeks when private schools break up early.
“The whole village breathes a sigh of relief when they leave and go to the Caribbean.”
Gina Rowe, 85, who has lived in the village all her life, blamed the parents, who rent the big houses along the cliff and could be seen dropping their kids off and unloading cases of alcohol to take to the beach.
Kendra Armitage, 21, who works at the village’s Galleon Beach Café said: “They certainly help businesses in the town but they know that and I think there is an arrogance about ‘we are spending this much money so we can do what we want’.
“It is sad there is this attitude and antisocial behaviour – we don’t want people to do anything dangerous.”