An iconic UK seaside town has been thrust into the spotlight in recent weeks after two mass brawls erupted as tensions appeared to boil over. Frustrated locals feel their once beautiful town has descended into carnage with Bournemouth being trashed “every single evening”.

Earlier this month around dozen shirtless Brits were filmed stumbling and throwing punches at one another as they came to blows on Bournemouth’s golden sands. Just two weeks prior the seaside town descended into chaos as a mass brawl once again broke out, leaving several police officers injured and holidaymakers stunned. According to Dorset Police, the disorder erupted following an earlier fight in the nearby Lower Gardens, where a teenage girl sustained injuries and was rushed to hospital.

Whilst the wave of anti-social behaviour may come as a surprise to many locals, they say the “hot weather brings the worst out of people”.

Rob Lindsell, owner of Fika Bournemouth, told the Express he believes minimal evening patrols from officers are central to the problem with anti-social behaviour an “everyday occurrence”.

He said: “It’s honestly an everyday occurrence these days. As a local business owner this affects me every single day. We have minimal evening patrols and as a result the town just gets trashed every single evening.

“More presence means less destruction in every other town, but in Bournemouth we do things our own way.

“It has an awful lot to do with our council and its totally warped allocation of funds. – We currently pay for town watch officers and CSAS officers who are supposed to deal with a lot of the anti-social behaviour. – these people only work 8-5.

“Which is awful because most of the incidents happen outside of those hours. – we like to boast we have a lot of foot patrols but the reality is we barely see them.”

Rob adds that every year Bournemouth sees more and more visitors, however, officer numbers have not increased to match this.

During the 2024 festive period Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole saw nearly 13 million visitors, a 11.4% increase compared to the previous year. Whilst Bournemouth town center and Christmas Tree Wonderland attracted 5.68 million visitors last year.

Rob believes more police patrols are the answer to keep the iconic seaside town safe for tourists and locals alike.

He said: “My town used to be beautiful, that’s why I moved here. When I came here for university the town felt safe and it had soul.

“Now it’s lost what it used to be and it feels like the council just aren’t focused on making this town better.”

Bournemouth local Jane Phillips says the disorder is extremely “sad to see”.

She said: “The hot weather really brings out the worst in people.

“It’s very sad to see what has become of such a lovely seaside town. A town which was much loved by so many now has lost its way.

“It’s also so depressing that people who come to Bournemouth just leave their rubbish laying around the beach. The way the beach and beach area is disrespected is very upsetting and sad.”

Fellow Bournemouth local Max Williams says he has “never seen so much drama” as he has recently.

He said: “I have lived in beautiful Bournemouth for over 10 years and have never seen so much drama as I have in the last few months.

“It’s disgusting that a few individuals think it’s ok to spoil everyone else’s day at the beach, just because you’ve had a few too many.

“Bournemouth used to be a nice family place but now that is gone.”

Earlier this month Dorset Police said extra patrols would be deployed along the seafront and officers will confiscate alcohol, nitrous oxide and other illegal substances where appropriate.

Local Policing Commander Chief Superintendent Heather Dixey said: “Crime and disorder on Bournemouth beach will absolutely not be tolerated and anyone who is identified as being involved will be robustly dealt with.

“I would like to provide reassurance to our communities that we have plans in place and we will adapt those plans at pace based on information and intelligence to ensure the appropriate policing presence, which will be plain clothed and in uniform. We will also use all technology available to us, for example the use of a vast CCTV network to identify and target those who are intent on committing crime and anti-social behaviour.

“We have been taking a robust approach, ensuring early intervention at the train station, issuing section 35 dispersal notices ordering people to leave the area who have been acting anti-socially, confiscating alcohol where appropriate and seizing nitrous oxide. Our officers have also been seizing other illegal drugs, including cannabis, for which people risk arrest and prosecution.

“The beaches in our area are visited by many families with children and we want them to have a safe and enjoyable time.

“The public can expect to see a heightened police presence in the area – this is to make sure that everyone feels safe and that any disruption from a relatively small number of people is kept to a minimum. We will have officers and staff out across the whole Dorset area who will be responding to incidents and investigating offences.

“Our message is very clear that we want everyone to have a good, safe summer, but anyone who is found to be involved in crime or disorder is not welcome here.”

Anyone with information about planned anti-social behaviour or criminality is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk or by calling 101.