RESIDENTS of a seaside town dubbed the ‘worst place on earth’ have hit back and said how lucky they feel to live there.
Jubilee Beach in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, was once dubbed the best in the resort, but has recently been lambasted on TripAdvisor.
Visitors warned others to ‘stay away’ from the sandy bay, saying it was littered with rubbish and filled with ‘drug dealers, junkies’.
While a TripAdvisor reviewer called the beach “the worst place on earth,” visiting moms said they wouldn’t even let their kids play on the beach.
Another said: “All you can smell is grass everywhere, it’s full of 16 year olds blasting music and parents dancing on top of each other. »
But locals have now said they love their ‘beautiful’ home – and it’s the tourists who are spoiling it.
Residents say they enjoy their city most months of the year, but avoid the beach in the summer.
They say it’s because visitors swarm the shoreline, drop their trash and get into drunken fights.
Dave Cook, 72, said he walked his dog every day in the off season, but stayed away when tourists started arriving.
He told The Sun Online: “It’s beautiful in winter, we’re lucky to have it.
“It is what it is, we are in the estuary, so we are looking at the dirty water and the mudflats rather than the sea.
“But in the summer I stop coming here with my dog, it’s so crowded with lots of litter and hordes of council workers trying to keep everyone in line.
“There is no space to walk and there is no point in having more bins because none of the tourists use the ones we already have. »
Dave has dubbed his town “a Cinderella region.”
The 72-year-old continued: “It really is poor man’s Brighton, it doesn’t have the class of Brighton or the old world feel of Hastings.
“Here in Jubilee Beach it’s a bit of a Cinderella neighborhood, it’s troubled and you feel left out – definitely the bad side of Southend. »
Fellow dog walker Steve Dadds, 41, agreed visitors were the problem.
He said: “People from out of town come in large numbers during the summer.
“They leave so much trash and fight that it becomes very unpleasant.
“But I’ve been everywhere and it’s as nice as anywhere in Britain.
“It could require a lot of investment in general. »
“REALLY BAD IN SUMMER”
Much like visiting parents, local mums say they won’t let their children near the beach in the summer.
But, they still blamed those from out of town.
Natalie Pearson, 31, said: ‘It’s really bad in the summer, it’s quite messy.
“I’ve lived here for 12 years and it’s gotten much worse with more and more tourists leaving more and more litter.
“It’s really annoying and I try to avoid the area which is a shame as it’s nice and quiet in winter.
“People come from London just to get drunk on the beach. They leave bottles and cans and I wouldn’t bring my kid when the local drunks hang around. »
Phoebe Roberts, 24, agreed: “It’s always too crowded even though there’s a lot of open space further down towards Thorpe Bay.
“It’s a bit hectic around here, it’s rowdy with all the nightclubs and bars around.
“I saw people arguing in front of children on the beach after having had a few drinks – now there are police everywhere. »
“LARGE CROWDS LEAVING GARBAGE”
Phoebe’s mum, Nicole Roberts, 52, added: “I come here once a month during the fall and winter – it’s a calming place, you could be anywhere looking in the water.
“But it’s completely different in the summer – there are big crowds leaving rubbish everywhere.
“People just don’t use their brains when there’s usually a trash can right there. »
And some older locals still cherish their memories of Jubilee Beach before it was overwhelmed with tourists.
Tina Williams, 70, said: “We’ve been coming here since we were kids.
“It’s a typical British seaside resort, it was much less crowded and messy when I was younger. »
Her husband Ross, 66, added: “It’s lovely, I’m really not put off by crowds or litter.
“I think the town has become nicer as the money comes in, it could still do with a bit more. »
