UK seaside town dubbed 'Ibiza of Britain' that was hit be a booze ban (2024)

Police in Cornwall have more powers to seize alcohol from those causing disruption (Image: Getty)

The seaside town dubbed the 'Ibiza of Britain' popular with stag and hen dos was hit by a booze ban in an effort to stamp out anti-social behaviour.

Newquay in Cornwall is a haven for partiers who get up to anti-social behaviour and other alcohol-fuelled antics who descend for a weekend of fun.

But the local council and residents are hitting back, agreeing to extend the public space protection orders prohibiting drinking on the street.

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. More than 10,000 teenagers had descended on the town to celebrate the end of exams.

The ban was brought in three years later in 2011. It involved cracking down on obscene fancy dress, fake IDs and street drinking and was designed to make the resorts more family-friendly.

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Sgt David Pearce and PC Dan Robins in Truro, where efforts are being made to bring down anti-social behaviour levels (Image: Greg Martin/Cornwall Live)

The Newquay Safe campaign saw police, council and businesses adopt a zero-tolerance approach, allowing police to confiscate alcohol from those being disruptive. Those failing to comply with the rules risk facing a fixed penalty notice.

Last year, the council petitioned to extend the scheme and is set to remain in place until October 2026.

Residents say they regularly have to witness drunken rowdy behaviour as a result of people drinking in areas where they work or live.

But despite enforcing the ban, Cornwall Council admitted to not knowing exactly how successful the scheme had been, according to Cornwall Live. 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.

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He had sent a request to the council under the Freedom of Information Act but was later informed that they didn't have this information.

Mr Stokoe 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."

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