People caught camping on Bournemouth beach face being woken and handed £1,000 fine

CAMPERS have been warned that they could face a £1,000 fine if they choose to stay overnight on a popular beach. 

Council staff will be patrolling Bournemouth beach 24/7 to ensure that anyone who decides to breach the overnight camping ban will get an “uncomfortable nights sleep”.

Revellers have been told that they can face prosecution for their trouble, as well as the £1k fine for camping on the sands. 

They face being woken up by council workers and told to move away from the popular area.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council have employed an additional 75 staff to help manage the authority's 15 miles of beach. 

A council spokesman said: "As part of our seasonal response plan, we're putting in place a 24-hour beach patrol to deal with those camping on the beach.

"Our beaches are not a place for overnight camping and people who choose to camp on them will risk prosecution and a £1,000 fine.

"Anyone thinking of camping on the beach can expect an uncomfortable night's sleep as our beach patrol team will repeatedly visit them to gather evidence before taking prosecution action."

During the summer of 2020 the council struggled with the huge demand on the beach, which caused congested roads and irresponsible parking.

He added: "Extra security patrols, Covid-19 marshals and additional CSAS officers will be deployed on the ground in hot spot areas to provide a uniformed presence and deal with anti-social behaviour and Covid-19 regulations.

"Additional policing has also been sourced for key busy dates.

"Public toilets will remain open with extended opening times into the evenings at key sites, and additional cleansing operations will be in place.

"We will be clear though we welcome responsible visitors to our resort.

"People who will treat things with care, behave reasonably and pick up after themselves."