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Angry locals of a UK seaside town made famous by an ITV detective drama have hit back after it was slammed earlier this week.
West Bay in Dorset was a key location in ITV's Broadchurch, and has become a must-see destination for fans of the show, which starred Olivia Colman and David Tennant.
However, some locals were furious after the onslaught of tourists had allegedly left it looking “tired and tatty”.
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And they went as far as speaking to several news outlets about it.
The head of the town's Consultative Committee, Simon Myles, who also runs a boat charter business, raged to The Sun about seagulls being fed, a lack of signage about not doing so and people being “attacked” for food.
And another bloke, called Andrew raged about the risks being taken by fans of Broadchurch when trying to take pictures of the iconic area, and claimed it looked “tired and tatty”.
However, speaking exclusively to the Daily Star, on behalf of several local business and community groups, the leader of Bridport Council hit back.
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Councillor Dave Rickard said: “The descriptions aren’t of the West Bay we all know and love. Holidaymakers and day-trippers come back year after year in their thousands to enjoy the wonderful combination of beach, stunning Jurassic Coast views, attractions to suit all tastes, fabulous eateries, events, independent shops, summer evening markets, boat trips, paddle boarding, rowing, fossil hunting, and a working harbour.
“Yes, a few people are antisocially careless with disposing of their litter, and yes, we’d love the parking charges to be lower, but these are issues along the whole of our stretch of coastline.
“The difference is that other destinations only offer a part of what we’ve got – West Bay has it all!”
Cllr Rickard slammed those who went to the media to criticize the area, as they were “not speaking” on behalf of the masses or the Town Council.
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West Bay was actually ranked the 10th best beach in England to visit this year, by Parkdean Resorts, which analysed TikTok data to see where the most viewed beaches on the app were, the beach has had a 40% rise in mentions.
Cllr Rickard continued: “The small number of over-critical people interviewed are in my opinion not speaking for the masses and certainly not for the Town Council, but we recognize that the financial pressures on all councils are enormous now after Covid, and the current national recession.
UK seaside town used for ITV drama now ‘tired and tatty’ as fans and seagulls take over
“We all rely on our local communities to work together for their environment and I have nothing but praise for the many volunteers who add so much to the ambiance of this unique gem that is West Bay.
“West Bay is the coastal and harbour area of Bridport, whose town centre has also become part of the tourist draw with a strong independent shopping offer, events and entertainment throughout the summer, and an award-winning, twice-weekly street market – we are often described as ‘Dorset’s Eventful Town’, 'charming, 'breathtakingly beautiful', and 'spectacular'.”
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