The local MP has tabled legislation in an attempt to give his constituents access to the beach
British beachgoers have fought back after a French-owned firm welded the gates of a Sussex beach shut for 18 years.
West Beach in Newhaven has been cut off from the public with metal barriers since 2008 by its French owners.
A group of 14-year-old boys scaled the security fencing and sprinted across the sand before plunging into the sea as temperatures reached 33C.
Days earlier, more than 100 beachgoers had descended on the site in Sussex after padlocks were cut off using angle grinders.
During that brief window of access, families enjoyed swimming in the sea, couples paddleboarded along the coast.
Children were seen constructing sandcastles on what is the only sandy beach of its type in the local area.
However, the enjoyment of the beach was short-lived, as the firm, owned by the French department of Seine-Maritime, shut the beach again, implementing tougher security measures to keep the British public out.
The dispute has now reached Westminster, where local Liberal Democrat MP James MacCleary has tabled legislation seeking to restore public access to the shoreline.
Mr MacCleary has stressed that his West Beach Bill should not be viewed through an anti-French lens.
"My West Beach Bill is about fairness. It is about standing up for a community that has been shut out of its own seafront for far too long," he said.
The owners say the beach is kept out of the public's use due to unpredictable wave movements from ferries and sea defences, making it unsafe.
The MP argued while safety considerations and port operations are legitimate concerns, they cannot serve indefinitely as justification for barring residents from a public space.
The 2008 closure stripped the community not merely of somewhere to swim and sunbathe, but of an integral part of Newhaven's heritage and character, Mr MacCleary said.
He noted thousands of local people hold fond memories of time spent at the beach with family and friends.
Residents of Newhaven have condemned the company's stance, with many describing the situation as indefensible on moral grounds.
Dean Elliott, a 42-year-old company director, called it "a national disgrace" and argued British coastline access ought to be enshrined in law.
"The stretch of sand is no more dangerous than any other in the UK and with a little renovation the steps leading to the beach and the sea wall could easily be improved," he said.
Sarah Lockyer, 52, from Peacehaven, recalled bringing her disabled son to the beach when he was younger.
"I think it's outrageous our coastline can be carved up by a foreign company, which is allowed to take away something that was part of the community," she said.
Christopher Rowntree, 78, recalled summers in the 1960s when the beach featured food and drink vendors and fairground stalls.
"It's morally indefensible for this company to continue shutting people out. Instead of spending so much money on security why don't they improve the steps and sea wall and open it up for everyone - it would be a public relations coup for them," Mr Rowntree said.
The beach's private ownership stems from an unusual legal circumstance: West Beach was formed artificially during the construction of Newhaven's western pier in the late 19th century.
This means it falls outside the jurisdiction of the Crown Estate, National Trust or Ministry of Defence, which oversee most British coastal land.
Newhaven Port and Properties (NPP), owned by the French department of Seine-Maritime, maintains that unpredictable ferry waves and deteriorating sea defences render the area hazardous.
Sussex Police arrested a 44-year-old Bromley man following alleged air rifle damage to CCTV cameras and are investigating further criminal damage to gate padlocks.
A police spokesman said: "We are also working with the landowner, the Port Authority, and the local council to provide crime prevention advice and help reduce the risk of further incidents."
In a statement, NPP said: "West Beach has been closed on safety grounds since 2008. Access to the area remains dangerous and is restricted with security measures and clear warning signage to protect public safety. Forcing entry into a restricted area is a criminal offence and places those involved at risk of serious injury.
"As the organisation responsible for managing the site, we have a duty to put public safety first and ask everyone to respect the restrictions that remain in place."
