Wailing tourists brand our UK seaside resort ‘grim and filthy' but they're WRONG – we have the best beach in England
Defending their home, residents blamed tourists for the "grim and filthy" appearance.
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Mablethorpe, in Lincolnshire, was named the second-worst seaside town in the UK in the latest Which? rankings.
While the long-established tourist destination scored just 46%, locals have insisted this is an unfair rating.
Insisting that this is not a true reflection of life in the seaside town, Mablethorpe residents claimed that visitors are at least partly to blame for litter and dog poo on the beach.
Award-winning beach
Locals added that the area has changed for the better, citing the "award-winning" beach as one of the main draws.
'It's lovely, an enormous, clean beach and traditional atmosphere," one resident said.
Popular seaside cafes, along with the funky Aqua Park are also popular with locals and tourists alike.
Carl Tebbutt, town mayor of Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea, spoke to the Express about what the area has to offer.
"It's a traditional seaside resort," said the 70-year-old, who has lived in the town since 1975.
"We've certainly got the best beaches on the east coast, if not the best beaches in the country."
And as well as the golden beach, Mablethorpe is described as an affordable getaway, with a number of highly-rated restaurants, bars, and pubs.
Look around historic 200-year-old lido with stunning seaside views abandoned for decades
Despite this, the area scored just two stars for value for money, peace and quiet, and its seafront.
And it was only awarded one star for food and drink, tourist attractions, and shopping, for the second consecutive year.
Despite this, Sun readers said the town is home to their favourite "North East Seaside Eats", loving the beach bar in a boat to the pirate-themed fish and chip shop.
The harsh Which? ranking comes after a tourist on TripAdvisor claimed the beach in Mablethorpe is "strewn with dog muck".
However, the mayor quashed these claims, explaining that "the main beaches are dog-free".
"I'm not sure where the claims of dog poo come from? Dogs are banned from all of the main beaches in the summer," he said.
Local reaction
Meanwhile, another resident described Mablethorpe as a "pleasure to live".
"I personally think that Mablethorpe is fantastic," he said.
"We have one of the best beaches - miles and miles of sand.
"The beaches on the whole are clean - if there is litter or dog mess it's left by holidaymakers who are just not respecting the beach for others."
Affordable tourist destination
He also praised the town's affordablity, saying there are "decent prices for stuff".
The town's mayor agreed that it is a very affordable place to visit, unlike other seaside resorts across the UK.
According to him, pints are on sale for just £3 in some pubs in the town.
"It's a very cheap place to visit as well," he explained.
"I've visited most seaside resorts in the country and our prices compare very favourably with what you would pay elsewhere.
"When you compare our prices to Margate or Scarborough, or any of the other major places, it's very cheap to visit.
"There's a lot of nice bars and you can still buy a pint up here for £3 which you can't elsewhere."
He added that the town also has "two great Italian restaurants, Chinese food, and your traditional fish and chip places".
"We've got something for everybody really," he said.
He also praised locals for taking pride in the area and making an effort to keep it clean.
"We have a really good volunteer organisation called Sutton Beach Care who pick up five or six bags of litter in a day," he revealed.
"And I don't mean carrier bags, I'm talking about bin bags. It's the people that come to Mablethorpe and don't really care about the town."
Another town resident agreed that Mablethorpe is home to the "best beach in the country".
"Mablethorpe may be a bit run down in places and like most places in need of investment," she said.
"But we have the best beach in the country. The town has many small businesses and has escaped the mass influx of fast food chains and multinational shops."
She addded that there has also been "a large investment in building the new sports hall and swimming pool, plus the nature reserve at Sandilands and the completion of the coastal path, along with other local projects."
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