Seaside town dubbed ‘Ibiza of Britain’ hit by booze ban after years as hotspot for rowdy hen & stag dos
A SEASIDE town dubbed the “Ibiza of Britain” was hit by a booze ban to prevent anti-social behaviour after it had been plagued with rowdy hen and stag dos.
Cornwall Council along with residents have agreed to extend the public space protection orders prohibiting drinking on the street.
Newquay was once the home of stag party revellers and outrageous alcohol-fuelled antics.
Its stunning beaches, cheap surf lodges, hotels and lax rules made it a perfect destination for clubbers across the country.
The 1990s and early 2000s saw hundreds of youngsters flock to the seaside town to party.
However, that changed in 2009 when two people tragically died after falling from a cliff.
At the time, more than 10,000 teenagers had descended on the town to celebrate finishing their exams.
The ban was enforced three years later and was designed to make the resorts more family-friendly by cracking down on obscene fancy dress, fake ID’s and street drinking.
The Newquay Safe campaign saw police, council and businesses adopt a zero-tolerance approach.
The council petitioned to extend the scheme last year and is set to remain in place until October 1, 2026.
The ban allows police and anti-social behaviour officers to confiscate alcoholic drinks from people if they are deemed to be acting disruptive.
Those failing to comply with the rules risk facing a fixed penalty notice.
The majority of residents claimed to have witnessed drunken rowdy behaviour as a result of people drinking in areas where they work or live.
Despite enforcing the ban, Cornwall Council admitted to not knowing exactly how successful the scheme had been, according to Cornwall Live.
The data collected by Devon and Cornwall police wasn’t shared with the local authority.
Richard Stokoe, who sits on the Marazion Town Council, said it was important to know how successful the campaign had been before discussing whether to extend it.
He had sent a request to the council under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) but was later informed that they didn’t have this information.
Richard said: “They are making policy without key data to prove whether the policies are effective or being enforced.”
A spokesperson for the council said: “The order allows the police and designated officials to use a number of measures to tackle alcohol-related anti-social behaviour, including issuing a verbal warning, or the confiscation of alcohol.
“Therefore the success of the orders cannot be quantified by the number of fixed penalty notices issued, as these are often only used as a last resort.”
The Sun has approached Cornwall Council and Devon and Cornwall police for comment.
It comes after locals in a seaside town dubbed the “Costa del Dole” claimed they weren’t surprised it was voted one of the worst in Britain.
And people living in a resort voted Britain’s finest coastal town fear it could come under threat from an influx of tourists and second home-owners.