Angry residents have revealed how one of Cornwall’s prettiest seaside towns has been turned into a “hell zone” by tourists who flock southwest during the summer.
Kerrie Goodwin, 43, who lives in a bungalow in Tintagel, has told how “unruly holiday hooligans” take over the idyllic seaside resort, even leaving faeces in the gardens of residents.
Kerrie told how she often dreads family outings to the beach, where the roads are blocked with large numbers of tourists trying to do the same thing.
She blamed tourism for turning places like Tintagel into “hell zones”.
Her complaints come as the summer season begins and thousands of people prepare to make the long journey to the south west to enjoy some summer sun on the UK’s south west coast.
Speaking to the Sun, Kerrie said: “[In] summer it’s overrun with too many tourists, traffic jams, and holiday hooligans. Unruly holiday makers take over and holiday season is a hell zone.
“People park wherever they like. Stag and hen groups vomit in the high street and stagger around drunk.
“Tourist zombies even poo and wee in the front garden and they leave rubbish everywhere. It’s a nightmare.”
Kerrie isn’t the only person to express displeasure with tourists over their behaviour in recent weeks as towns in Cornwall consider the introduction of tourist taxes.
One of those backing the idea of a tourist tax is the Chief Executive of Visit Cornwall Malcolm Bell, who admitted that he could “certainly envision” one in the future.
Mr Bell said that while he could envision a tourist tax being implemented in Cornwall, this would only work if the county didn’t go it alone.
Mr Bell cautioned: “We have observed how fast decisions are often very poor decisions. It is a time to have the debate, not rush into action, engage with people and look at the art of the possible. We must make sure it is not burdened with administrative costs and helps to manage the situation we are facing and improve it.
“It needs to be very carefully considered, and the decision should involve businesses and other partners, we are already talking to the Cornwall Community Foundation and National landscapes, south west coastal paths. But even if we end up avoiding the tourism tax, we should look at the rationale about why people are calling for one.”