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Inside UK’s ‘WORST’ seaside town with ‘filthy streets and disgusting brown sea’ – as tourists are urged to ‘run away’

TOURISTS have warned Brits to "run away" from a seaside town as it is judged worst in the country.

The seaside town of Skegness, in Lincolnshire, came last in a poll ranking the UK's 118 beaches.

The British seaside town of Skegness in Lincolnshire has been voted the worst beach
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The British seaside town of Skegness in Lincolnshire has been voted the worst beachCredit: Getty
Skegness' popularity boomed in the 19th century when a railway brought holidaymakers in their droves to the seaside
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Skegness' popularity boomed in the 19th century when a railway brought holidaymakers in their droves to the seasideCredit: Getty - Contributor
Beauty contest girls sitting in deck-chairs on the beach at Skegness putting on their make-up before the competition in 1960
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Beauty contest girls sitting in deck-chairs on the beach at Skegness putting on their make-up before the competition in 1960Credit: Getty

Critics have branded it "smelly", "disgusting" and "filthy".

Skegness' popularity boomed in the 19th century when a railway brought holidaymakers in their droves to the .

Wide, tree-lined street promenades, a garden, park and a pier were all built in the late 1870s to cater to the rising demand.

Yet the area has now been blasted as "a terrible place with terrible people".

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And it came last in a Which? survey taken by 3,000 people, ranking just 48 per cent and tying with Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.

The seafront, scenery and noise levels were all awarded a single star out of five.

It scraped two stars for "food and drink", "tourist attractions" and "shopping". And three stars for beaches.

Yet in a scathing review one person wrote: "The beach was horrible and we had to go 20 miles up the road to Mablethorpe to enjoy a decent beach. Overall terrible place with terrible people. I will never go there ever again."

Another called it "the dirtiest place in England".

They added: "Horribly smelly. The sea has a brown froth on the top. The streets are dirty. The roads are potholed."

Another said simply: "Run away".

Elsewhere in the poll, spots including Burnham-on-Sea, Mablethorpe and Southend-on-Sea also fell foul of the voters.

At the other end of the table Bamburgh in Northumberland and Dartmouth in Devon were ranked Britain's best beaches.

Editor of Which? Travel Rory Boland wants to see seasides get more investment to "level up".

He said: "Clacton, Skegness and Southend all received one star from visitors for the lack of peace and quiet, and some visitors complain that the boisterous atmosphere can tip into feeling unsafe.

"That's a shame, because what Clacton, Skegness and Southend offer is exactly the sort of seaside break many of us want. Big beaches, big entertainment and small prices. More should be done to help them level up and become first-class holiday resorts."

Holidaymakers nap in the sports field of Butlins Holiday Camp
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Holidaymakers nap in the sports field of Butlins Holiday CampCredit: Getty
The village of Bamburgh lies on the Northumberland coast opposite the Farne Islands
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The village of Bamburgh lies on the Northumberland coast opposite the Farne IslandsCredit: Getty
Litter strewn all over Southend’s beaches after thousands descended on Southend on Sea in Essex
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Litter strewn all over Southend’s beaches after thousands descended on Southend on Sea in EssexCredit: Getty
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