Teenagers typically descend upon the beach to celebrate the end of the summer term
Fury has erupted in a seaside town as public school students have caused carnage by the coast on Polzeath beach.
Police in Cornwall have implemented a 48-hour dispersal order covering Polzeath beach and the surrounding village following a wave of antisocial behaviour by private school teenagers on their summer holidays.
The neighbourhood policing team took what they described as an "unusual step" after incidents of late-night disturbances, smashed glass, littering, property damage and underage sexual activity occurring after midnight.
Crowds numbering as many as 300 young people have been gathering on the sands after dark, the Times reports.
The north Cornish village popular among affluent families and second home owners has been bearing the brunt of the disruption.
The order was triggered after the local beach ranger encountered a hostile response on Tuesday evening when attempting to move a large gathering from the area.
Guy Taylor, who co-owns the Surfside rum bar and restaurant, invests more than £17,000 in additional security measures during the opening fortnight of July when privately educated youngsters arrive in the seaside village.
Over the past week alone, his team has seized in excess of 100 fraudulent identification documents from teenagers attempting to purchase alcohol.
The establishment's two female security staff have been forced to bring in male colleagues due to the intimidating atmosphere that develops after dark.
Mr Taylor said: "It's a massively profitable two weeks for the community, everyone does well.
"We just want everyone to go home at 11pm and have a good night's sleep and then come back and enjoy themselves."
His venue shuts at 11pm, yet security personnel must remain until 3am as young visitors have previously stolen furniture for beach bonfires and attempted to break into cellars for alcohol.
Andy Stewart, a 55-year-old former Devon & Cornwall police officer, has served as the beach ranger since 2019, working to address the annual problem through preventative measures and education.
A community interest company established by local landowners funds his role.
Meanwhile, locals have contributed money for his extended night shifts during July and the installation of two infrared CCTV cameras on the beach in 2023.
Tom Bailhache, Mr Taylor's business partner at Surfside, acknowledged these efforts had "definitely made a huge difference" but expressed frustration local businesses shoulder the responsibility.
Enhanced police patrols during the first two weeks of July have been in place since 2023.
However, this week's disorder proved severe enough to warrant the dispersal order covering the beach, village and surrounding areas.
Inspector Adam Stonehill emphasised officers were not seeking to ruin young people's summer enjoyment, stating those behaving respectfully and simply meeting friends posed no concern.
"However, the behaviour of a few is detrimental to all and we must consider the wellbeing of everyone in the locality, our local community and, in particular, those who reside and have businesses in Polzeath," he said.
Anyone instructed by police to leave the designated zone must depart and stay away for up to 48 hours or risk arrest.
Mr Taylor placed blame on parents, questioning why they would leave teenagers at the beach with bottles of rosé near dangerous waters.
He attributed this year's heightened problems to the heatwave, noting that wet weather last year had kept numbers down.
However, warm conditions and the football had made youngsters "a bit giddy".
