The so-called best beach in Britain has been slammed as a ‘scummy ghost town’ by its residents – who say the area is ‘really run down’ and anti-social behaviour is ‘out of control’.
Weymouth in Dorset took home the crown for the fourth year in a row last week, rating higher than scenic holiday destinations in Cornwall, Wales or Scotland.
But locals say vile sewage has made it ‘almost inevitable’ that the beach will lose its Blue Flag status to protect keen swimmers from the disgusting water.
And residents of the historic harbour have told MailOnline that ‘it’s really run down here’, where shoplifting and anti-social behaviour are ‘out of control’.
Empty shops dominate the centre, with boarded up windows along St Mary Street where busy small businesses used to be.
Charles Edgiton called Weymouth a ‘ghost town’ which ‘only has charity shops and cafes’.
The 52-year-old accused Weymouth Town Council of ‘only caring about pubs and building flats’.
‘They don’t care about the people who live here, they don’t care about the kids around here.
It is ‘almost inevitable’ that Weymouth beach will lose its Blue Flag status after the water quality had been ruined by sewage
Empty shops and broken businesses dominate the centre of Weymouth where families once visited for classic seaside holiday
Anti-social behaviour and drunkenness are not uncommon sights in Weymouth, especially near the train station
Charles Edgiton said Weymouth had become a ‘ghost town’ and was neglected by the local council
‘They don’t give a monkeys about anything – all they care about is the money in their pocket.’
Yahia Seddiq, who runs his own clothing wear store Paz, said ‘business rates are too high and they’re not doing enough to support them’.
‘If we lose these little shops, people who come to see the beach won’t come further into the town and will affect us all,’ the 60-year-old said.
The only businesses that do seem to thrive are vape shops, which are staggered throughout the carcasses of a once-bustling high street.
But only last year it was revealed that many were selling hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of illegal vapes and tobacco.
In April, nearly 1,000 illegal vapes and 18,000 cigarettes were seized from two shops by Dorset Council’s trading standards team, as well as almost 7kg of hand rolling tobacco.
The goods were specifically designed to be appealing to children and ‘flouted’ rules set by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The MHRA restricts what chemicals can be used and how much nicotine they contain.
Nearly 1,000 illegal vapes and 18,000 cigarettes were seized from two shops in Weymouth last year
Amsterdam Market was forced to close after persistently selling illegal vapes and cigarettes despite several seizures from the police
Vape shops have popped up in their dozens within the centre of Weymouth
Many phone repair stores double up as a vape shop
One local called Weymouth a ‘scummy’ place to live with drugs filling the street
Ruzi Neretlgak, who had moved to Weymouth last year, already found the town ‘a bit boring’ with ‘not much to do’
Eight months later, Amsterdam Market was forced to close after persistently selling illegal vapes and cigarettes despite several seizures from the police.
Danson Searrott said that there are lots of ‘rough people’ around here and drugs fill the street.
The 18-year-old called the town ‘scummy’ and said the area around the train station was a ‘really grey area’ that you wanted to avoid.
The trader told how people in other towns come to Weymouth to drink and gather in the streets because there’s not much to do.
Anti-social behavior has blighted the streets where holiday-goers once loved.
James MacManus, 78, shared how he saw that morning ‘two shoplifters in Poundland loading up and the employees were trying to stop them – there’s just no control.’
Mr Seddiq said the problem was worse when the asylum barge Bibby Stockholm was docked nearby and the occupants of the boat were brought to Weymouth for day trips.
His young daughters had been harassed by the asylum seekers when they came to visit and it was a ‘big problem’.
James MacManus said he saw two shoplifters that morning stealing items from Poundland – ‘there’s just no control’
The asylum barge Bibby Stockholm was docked nearby and the 500 men awaiting their claim results were brought to Weymouth for day trips
The Bibby Stockholm was removed from Portland Port in January after it was discontinued as housing for asylum seekers
Holding around 500 men waiting for the outcome of their asylum applications, the barge docked at Portland Port in Dorset was met with controversy and had to move its occupants off at one point because of the presence of legionella bacteria.
The barge is no longer used to house asylum seekers and was removed at the end of January.
On reflection, Mr Seddiq, who has lived in Weymouth for nearly four decades, said ‘they should have been taken to a place that was bigger like a city and not a small tourist town.’
Dorset Council leader Nick Ireland said the barge was ‘imposed’ on the area and thought no one wanted it there.
Another ‘disaster’ for the area was issues with parking, which one local said was ‘totally unreasonable’ and put off people visiting.
Mr Seddiq added that ‘parking costs are very, very, very high – it’s like London prices’.
Yahia Seddiq, who runs his own clothing wear store Paz, said ‘business rates are too high and the council are not doing enough to support’ local shops
Even chains have been hit by high business rates in the wave of closures that has blighted Weymouth’s centre
Gambling shops are some of the few businesses to have managed to stay open
‘It doesn’t look anywhere like it used to – it’s just the big shops here that survive,’ Mr MacManus said
The esplanade that runs parallel to the beach costs £10.30 for four hours and many other central roads charge £4.30 for an hour’s parking.
On Westham Bridge – which overlooks the harbour – it costs £15 to park your car for more than four hours.
The seafront, which TripAdvisor said had ‘crystal-clear waters’ at the Travellers’ Choice Awards 2025, is also being tarnished by rampant sewage waste that is ‘not-fit-for-purpose’, Mr Ireland said.
At the end of last year, the Environment Agency reduced the Weymouth Central Beach from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’, with the highest standard required for a Blue Flag, which Weymouth Town Council called ‘disappointing’.
A 33 per cent year-on-year increase in overflows from Chaffey’s Lake, Radipole was likely to blame – with 16 incidents last year, according to Mr Ireland – although Wessex Water said there was no direct link.
Despite this, Weymouth was ranked 20th best beach in Europe, beating beloved spots in Portugal and Cyprus.
Mr Ireland believed it was ‘almost inevitable’ that the beach would loose its Blue Flag status which represents ‘well-managed beaches with excellent water quality’.
With the ‘jewel-in-the-crown’ now likely to be snatched away, Weymouth are set to lose their one last redeeming quality before the town is left to fade into memories of seaside fun.
There had been 33 per cent year-on-year increase in overflows, with 16 incidents last year, according to Mr Ireland
Locals blamed the council’s lack of support for the overwhelming amount of closures at the town’s heart, with one saying they need to ‘pull their finger out their a**e’
St Mary Street runs through the centre of Weymouth and is only a stone’s throw away from the seafront
‘If we lose these little shops, people who come to see the beach won’t come further into the town and will affect us all’
One local said Weymouth had been allowed to get ‘really run down’
The situation had become worse since Covid, several residents said, despite enjoying two seasons of massive interest when many Brits holidayed at home during travel restrictions
Parking was also said to be a contributing factor for the decrease in footfall as many tourists will be put off by the £15 parking
One local, Tom, said ‘so many of the shops around here are empty, the footfall has completely dropped off’
‘They don’t care about the people who live here, they don’t care about the kids around here,’ Mr Edgiton said
Ruzi Neretlgak, who had moved to Weymouth last year, already found the town ‘a bit boring’ with ‘not much to do’.
With the local cinema and bowling alley recently closed down, the 25-year-old said the area ‘is lacking lots of things that you need’.
Mr MacManus also said ‘so much more could be done’ after the town had been allowed to become ‘really run down’.
‘It doesn’t look anywhere like it used to – it’s just the big shops here that survive, it’s turning into America with all its McDonald’s’.
‘We want people to come off the beach and use our cafes and restaurants, but the council have really got to pull their finger out their a**e,’ added Mr MacManus.
Another local, Tom, said ‘so many of the shops around here are empty, the footfall has completely dropped off.’
‘They want to tear this town to pieces, because that’s what you do.’
Dawn Rondeau-Irvine, Chief Operations Officer of the town’s Business Improvement District (BID), hit back, saying: “Opinions on the town may vary depending on who you ask, but the facts speak for themselves.
‘Crime – particularly shoplifting – has seen a significant decline, thanks to the dedicated efforts of our businesses, BID Rangers, Police, and community teams, with street drinking nearly eradicated.
‘Trade is thriving, with 19 new businesses opening in the past year, and major brands like Primark set to arrive soon. Just last week, record-breaking crowds flocked to the town for our annual Dino Run and fossil trail.
‘Despite a challenging national economic climate, Weymouth continues to defy the odds, attracting investment and development. While it’s impossible to please everyone all the time, this award is undeniable proof that those who visit Weymouth regard it as the UK’s best seaside resort – and we wholeheartedly agree.’
Dorset Council said that the ‘economic growth of Weymouth is a priority’ and are working with businesses and Weymouth’s Business Improvement District.
They insisted that ‘Although every British seaside town faces similar issues, Weymouth is in a good place with it’s beach and heritage’.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .