LOCALS have branded their seaside town a "filthy dump" as tents line the streets and tourists fear for their lives.
The two golden sandy beaches of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, once saw the coastal resort voted best in the UK.
Thousands of visitors scrambled to the thriving seaside town ever summer, but now the area is a shadow of its former self, residents say.
It was praised as one of the UK's top destinations by Time Out in 2023.
However, disgruntled visitors thrashed its "general air of grubbiness" and warned other potential holidaymakers to "keep on driving" past.
"The place needs a good clean up," the scathing review read on TripAdvisor.
Another harsh critic added: "The beach was dirty and the whole neighbouring area littered and filthy.
"We last came here 15 years ago and it’s changed dramatically from a vibrant seaside town to nothing more than a ‘dump’."
While the beaches and traditional shoreline donkey rides still attract the masses each summer, tourists have been urged to avoid cooling off in the sea.
The Environment Agency previously warned people not to swim at Scarborough's South Bay after harmful bacteria linked to human sewage was found in the water.
Earlier this summer, the level of E.coli bacteria in the sea at Scarborough South Bay spiked by nearly 7,000 percent and investigations are "ongoing".
Fed up locals have slammed the steep decline of the coastal town.
Civil servant Vic Harris, 70, said: "You just have to look around you to see it.
"There's nothing but vape shops, charity shops, budget shops and
boarded up shops. It looks like a town in decline and that's just
through neglect and a major lack of investment.
"It's hard to think that this was once thought of as a great resort
and things seem to have got worse.
"There is a high level of violence, especially at weekends and there
is also a real drug problem which you can see in the town centre and
also recreational drug use at night.
The amount of drug use in the town is crazy, that's in terms of what they call recreational drugs like cocaine but also with people becoming addicted
Keeley Harris
"Antisocial behaviour is also a difficulty that people have
unfortunately had to get used to."
The situation has worsened to the extent a town hall meeting was called previously to address a "general feeling of being unsafe".
The meeting was called by councillor Rich Maw, who claimed he was getting daily reports of public drinking, unruly behaviour, suspected drug abuse and intimidation.
Locals have also complained of rowdy noise and the number of tents dotted around the town.
The South Cliff area has been particularly rocked by the number of rough sleepers, some in threadbare tents, who hide themselves in bushes and other shelters.
Care worker Keeley Harris, 22, said: "The amount of drug use in the town is crazy, that's in terms of what they call recreational drugs like cocaine but also with people becoming addicted.
"It's a big problem here and I've seen it at first hand because I have
had friends who have gone down that pipehole."
Scarborough first rose to prominence as a holiday hot spot in the 17th century when Elizabeth Farrow discovered a stream of acidic water running down the cliff and into the sea in the South Bay.
She found the water had healing qualities, working in the same way as stomach salts, before Dr Robert Wittie published a book about the spa waters in 1660.
"Scarborough Spa" was subsequently born and the town became Britain's first seaside resort, eventually adding bathing machines in 1735.
The Grand Hotel, which once hosted the likes of Sir Winston Churchill
and The Beatles, was later built in 1876.
But the hotel is a far cry from its hey day and has received a string of stinging TripAdvisor reviews.
Meanwhile, North Yorkshire Police says it is working hard to combat crime and disorder in the town.
A spokesman added: "North Yorkshire Police works collaboratively with North Yorkshire Council in Scarborough town to combat crime and disorder and to make it a safe space for residents, businesses and
visitors alike.
"The night-time economy is well-managed by licensed premises thanks to the collective efforts of Licensing departments within both the police and council working alongside the Scarborough Neighbourhood Policing Team.
"We have a variety of operations in place around prevention and early
intervention. These include Operation Vigilant which involves
specialist behaviour detection techniques to identify those who pose
harm to women and girls, and 'hotspot' policing patrols using
intelligence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.
"We also have Operation Culture focusing on street drinkers which is a significant concern in our community."
North Yorkshire Council had not responded with a comment at the time of publication.
SEASIDE towns in the UK have a 19 per cent higher level of crime on average
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) - Seaside towns have 33 per cent higher crime than the UK average.
Violence and sexual offences - Seaside towns have 34 per cent higher crime than the UK average.
Criminal damage and arson - Seaside towns have 29 per cent higher crime than the UK average.
Public order - Seaside towns have 14 per cent higher crime than the UK average.
Drugs - Seaside towns have 9 per cent higher crime than the UK average.
Shoplifting - Seaside towns have 30per cent higher crime than the UK average.
All Other Crime - Seaside towns have 13 per cent higher crime than the UK average.
Total Crime - Seaside towns have 19 per cent higher crime than the UK average.
