A once-bustling seaside resort is now left devastated by an economic downturn, with a rising crime rate and scarce jobs.
Cleethorpes, in Lincolnshire, once attracted visitors from all over the country – but now has been described as the “worst seaside place” in the whole of the UK.
Businesses are closing down and crime is reportedly sweeping the town.
And the pier, which today marks its 150th anniversary, was blasted as a “glorified chippy” by locals.
Jobs in seaside towns have collapsed by 50,000 in the space of a decade – 2,700 of which were in Cleethorpes.
The Opposition may present some hope for the towns, with Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves promising to “make our seaside towns great again” by slashing and reforming business rates.
She added that she would make sure sewage being dumped into the sea would be banned.
But locals weren’t convinced, with care assistant Nichola Porter, 40, telling the Sun she “can’t see anything changing” as “things are too far gone”.
She added: “It’s a dead end now. Everything is closed. There’s nothing much going on. With everyone struggling it’s getting worse.”
A seafront trader selling fish who wished to remain anonymous said to the outlet: “I’m retiring next year after 30 years. I can’t wait to get out. Cleethorpes is in terminal decline.”
They added: “Teenagers run riot here at night”.
The North Promenade, known by locals as North Prom, used to be a huge draw for tourists. It was the first market to be allowed to open on a Sunday.
But 12 years ago it shut for good – followed by the town’s local theme park, Pleasure Island, which suffered the same fate in 2016.
The crime has become so severe that some businesses in the town have put up barbed wire to stop trespassers entering.
Steve Hall, 69, a retired miner from Barnsley who has been visiting Cleethorpes all his life, said: “There’s nowt here. Everywhere is shut.
“It’s the worst seaside place in the UK apparently. The Pier used to have entertainment. Now it’s a glorified chippy.”
Cleethorpes is the second-most dangerous medium-sized town in Lincolnshire after Boston with a 24 percent higher crime rate than the national average, according to CrimeRate.
The most common crimes in Cleethorpes are violence and sexual offences, with 1,679 offences in 2022 – eight percent higher than in 2021.