Seaside towns up and down the UK have been in decline for years. The combination of cheap overseas package holidays, neglected public services, and seasonal tourism has transformed our proud coastal resorts into some of the country’s most deprived communities.

Residents and tourists in Rhyl, a seaside town located in Denbighshire on the north-east coast of Wales, have spoken out about issues facing them in the midst of the summer season. The town centre has been ranked among the most deprived areas in Wales, with crime rates standing at more than double the average rate of the country. Like many other traditional British seaside resorts, Rhyl has lost dozens of shops and major attractions in recent times, including the Sun Centre wave pool, the SeaQuarium, and the Victorian Pier. Despite significant investment, worth over £200 million from Denbighshire County Council and other partners over the last decade, the town continues to face hardship and locals are struggling to see a positive future.

“Rhyl is a total disgrace and needs demolishing,” 77-year-old Mary Carr, who has lived in the town for her whole life, tells the Daily Express. “When I was a child, it was incredible. The high street was vibrant but all of the shops have now moved to Prestatyn.”

She says the relocation of Marks & Spencer to Parc Prestatyn in 2013 was a loss to the town. As well as independent mainstays like RKM Wools, household names such as Wilko, Iceland, New Look, GAME and Pizza Hut also shut locations in Rhyl between 2023 and early 2026.

Walking on West Parade, at Rhyl seafront, Craig Wake and Ann-Marie Royal are visiting the town from Manchester. They first holidayed in Rhyl 50 years ago and have noticed a huge change in the area since.

“It’s dilapidated now,” 60-year-old Mr Wake explains. “It reminds us, and I know most seaside towns are the same now, of Blackpool.

“They seem to take care of the seafront, but all of the back is rundown and forgotten about. There’s probably not enough funding or enough work for the local people.”

Ms Royle adds: “It’s so run down here. There’s nothing for the kids to do, really. I remember all of the arcades and everything back in the day, but it’s not the same now.”

After being asked if there are places to eat and drink in Rhyl, the 60-year-old replies: “I haven’t seen any, no.” Mr Wake then adds: “I was shocked. When I was a kid, it was beautiful. It was buzzing then, but it isn’t now.”

He continues: “I went into the town last night and there were a couple of restaurants and curry houses but there was nobody in them. It was empty.

“Some of the windows had been smashed in and I thought they haven’t got a chance. Families wouldn’t want to sit in them to eat.”

As well as losing shops over the years, Rhyl has also lost major attractions such as the Ocean Beach Funfair. It shut for good in September 2007 and was replaced by the Marina Quay Retail Park, which homes brands such as Aldi, The Range and B&M, in 2017.

“Once they took the funfair, they took the heart out of the town,” Lynda Waite says. “That’s what Rhyl was all about.”

The 72-year-old has a caravan and often visits Rhyl in the warm summer months. However, she has seen the town decline over recent years and is calling for more support from the authorities.

“We used to stay on the seafront and you would see a skating rink, a paddling pool, a park,” she adds. “There was so much for everyone to do. It was just heaven when you were younger.

“There’s not even shops or anything now it’s just fast food places and charity shops. People have no reason to go into the town.

“There’s nothing here. It used to be a beautiful place. It seems as though they’ve ploughed money into the wrong areas and they’re not attracting families here anymore.”

The decline of Rhyl is symbolised by the looming Sky Tower, which now stands dormant on the West Parade promenade. The tower, which is 240ft tall, opened as an amusement ride in 1993 but ceased operations at the end of 2010 following a safety report citing £400,000 in repairs.

Keith Povah, a 67-year-old retired coach driver, has lived in Rhyl for all of his life. He explains how the town previously had “two theatres, a sealife centre, and lovely old buildings”.

“I get that times move on but towns like Llandudno have still got their Victorian buildings? I think sometimes you’ve got to keep the older stuff as it helps bring more people in,” he says.

“They used to have the fairground here, which was actually one of my first jobs when I was 17 or 18, but they did away with that as well. A lot of people say that if that was still here they’d come and visit.”

On the shop closures, he adds: “With the internet now, everyone is shopping online and everything is so expensive in the shops nowadays.

“And of course, if you’ve got a shop, it’s the rent and costs that are going up all the time as well. That’s the problem and I think it’s an issue for a lot of places.”

Mr Povah has seen Rhyl transform from a bustling seaside resort into a declining town. He says it has got noticeably quieter in recent summers, but believes the town still has so much to offer.

“The beach is really nice; it’s massive. When it’s really warm, you would pay good money to go on holiday to somewhere like Spain for that, but we’ve got it on our doorstep,” he says.

“I used to drive coaches and I remember bringing a group here years ago and, as soon as they arrived, they all just ran out onto the beach. I remember speaking to one of them and they said they lived in Birmingham and this is beautiful compared. So I think there’s a lot worse places to be.”

Rhyl has received significant investment, including major coastal defence upgrades, a new healthcare hub, town centre and high street regeneration funds, community support schemes, and grassroots sports backing.

The Welsh Government has plunged £33 million into the historic Royal Alexandra Hospital, while the UK Government launched the “Our Rhyl” Pride in Place Programme to invest £20 million into the high street and housing between 2026 and 2036. A further £66 million was spent on the Central Rhyl Coastal Defences Scheme and over £2 million was awarded by the council to help residents with energy costs.

However, people in the town are concerned that the money has gone to waste. They want to see more support for businesses in and around the town centre, which will help attract more visitors throughout the year.

Simon Waite, 68, says: “I remember when we came for the first time in the 1960s and it was totally different. When I was younger, this was the place to come in the summer and for nights out.

“I think the government could help places like this more. I think they’re wasting money by throwing it on the wrong things. The town centre needs help, not just the seafront.”

This is echoed by Wendy McAuley, who believes there are “too many takeaways, nail bars and charity shops here.” She adds: “I think more needs to be done to help places like Rhyl.

“It’s like in England, where everything seems to be done in the south but nothing is done in the north. There are a lot of poor people in Rhyl who need the help.”

The 59-year-old also raises another prominent issue in the town – dog poo. She claims that tourists come to Rhyl with their pets and “just leave” their poo on the seafront.

“They need to sort out the dog poo,” she says. “The town is full of it, especially across the seafront. You name the place, it’s everywhere.

“And it’s not just the residents. It’s the holidaymakers as they come in and let their dogs poo and they just leave it. They don’t care.”

Katie Readymarcher, 17, agrees: “It’s just messy all the time. They need to improve it or people will leave.”

According to Crime Rate, which uses official government figures, Rhyl records around 154 to 196 crimes per 100,000 people, which is more than double the average rate for Wales. The most prominent issues include anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and shoplifting.

Data from the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation also lists Rhyl West as the most deprived area in the whole of Wales. The ward grapples with high rates of poverty, drugs, and violent crime.

When she is asked whether she feels safe in the town, Ms Readymarcher replies: “I don’t. Do you know how many people have been stabbed in this town? I wouldn’t feel safe in the town at night because there’s loads of people on drugs around here.”

Meanwhile, Mr Wake says he often sticks to the seafront as he can feel “vulnerable” walking around the town centre with his partner.

“We got back from Crete last week and came here yesterday for a bit of nostalgia really,” he explains. “But, when we got here last night, we drove into the car park and I said I needed a stab vest.”

Mr Waite adds: “I’ve noticed some crime around here. It’s a drug bin. There’s lots of drugs around here now I think. They tend to congregate in groups around the town.”

While Rhyl, which has an estimated population of around 27,900 people, has a slightly older demographic than other towns in Wales, around 60% of the population are aged between 16 and 65. Some younger members of the community are calling for more things to do in the town, such as good restaurants and bars.

Natalie Daly, who has lived in Rhyl for five years, says: “I’m sick of the sight of McDonald’s and Greggs. We need more decent food places, which I think would help people come in. It’s like a ghost town in the winter.”

The 35-year-old adds: “I moved here to be close to my dad but I’m not a big fan of this (middle of Rhyl). When you go into the town you feel really unsafe. There’s people on drugs and it’s just not very nice.”

Her partner, 27-year-old Antonio Angioi, from Sardinia in Italy, adds: “It’s a bit of a ghost town really. There’s not much to do for young people, so I’m not surprised it doesn’t get very busy”

However, there are members of the community fighting for a positive future. Susie Ingram, a volunteer at charity Brighter Futures, believes it is the people of Rhyl who will help turn the fortunes of the town around.

The 67-year-old says: “I love the town and I don’t care what people say – everywhere has changed. As long as you’ve got good people with good hearts helping each other, then we can build a better future.”

Brighter Futures, which operates at the site of a former pub on Wellington Road, was founded in 2018 and hopes to combat poverty, social isolation and unemployment in Rhyl. It hosts a youth club, a community cafe and supports groups such as Men’s and Women’s Sheds.

“We’re feeding people here and they can get a good meal for a pound,” Ms Ingram explains. “They can sit here all day for a chat and socialising. It brings people together. That’s what it’s all about.”

Steve Johnson, the Coordinator and Sustainability Lead at Brighter Futures, says around 60 children attend the charity’s youth club on a Monday night. He believes this is crucial to combating crime and anti-social behaviour.

“It gives them something to do. All they need is somewhere to spend time rather than walking the streets. Crime and anti-social behaviour is an issue here like every town.

“But the nights we’re open, the kids are in here getting entertained. And that’s exactly what they want. If they’ve got nothing to do then they’re going to be on the streets causing trouble. Everything is getting shut down so there’s nothing for them to do.”

Meanwhile, Ms Ingram is urging people to give the town a chance. She explains: “Get to know the people and get to know that we don’t live that way. We work together and help each other. You won’t find a better place.

“I lived in London briefly, but I was glad to come home. I love it here. It’s the sort of place where everyone knows everyone. If they don’t know you, they’ll come and say hello to you.”