Our beautiful seaside town was once dubbed the Magaluf of Britain – strict ‘mankini ban’ saved us ...Middle East

A SEASIDE town that was once known as ‘Britain’s Magaluf’ is unrecognisable after cleaning up its image – and banning mankinis.

Business owners and locals say they hardly recognise Newquay in Cornwall, after a major effort was made to shed its ‘wild west’ reputation.

The coastal spot had a reputation for rowdiness and was known for playing host to stag dos, lads holidays and drunken teenage gatherings.

The council finally had enough and in 2009 introduced a “mankini ban.”

The new law, which was part of the award-winning Newquay Safe campaign, banned mankinis and other “inappropriate clothing” such as fancy dress in public.

The campaign was introduced after two teenagers tragically died on nights out in the town.

It was a huge success, Devon and Cornwall Police reported crime in 2012 fell by one-fifth compared to 2009.

Reports of anti-social behaviour also dropped from 685 to 286 in those years.

Long suffering locals say Newquay today is a world apart from its past.

Independent coffee shops line the high street where the infamous Bertie’s nightclub, which closed its doors last year.

Families walk along the quiet coast and take surfing lessons, while older residents play bowls overlooking the beach.

Vintage and skate and surf clothing stores are dotted amongst quaint pasty shops.

The only markers of a different time are the arcades in the town centre.

Arcade worker Maddie Grover, 25, says that while there are still stag dos, they’re “not as bad as they were at the time.”

She grew up in the town and said the area particularly quietened down after Bertie’s closed down.

She said now some clubs don’t allow stag dos inside if the attendees are dressed up.

Maddie added: “The high street is a little bit rowdy in the central area. It’s better now, it’s more calm, there aren’t as many fights.

“We see lots of families because we work in an arcade but we see a lot more families in general.”

Andy, 40, is happy the town had shed its former reputation, he said: “I definitely think it’s better.

“There’s a higher level of respect and there isn’t the locals being like: ‘Oh God.’

“Silly season, we expect, but it’s not something you’re dreading anymore. You’re not dodging vomit on the high street.

“I skateboard from the top of the hill to the shop and there’s no longer passed-out people, people who have vomited everywhere and broken glass. It’s cleaned up quite a lot since then.

“I just see hungry, happy, people wandering around in the mornings looking for a good breakfast.

“There are families coming down, and the families that come down have that mentality of: ‘I’d love to live here because of how it is.’

“Compared to before when you would walk down the high street and see six dudes in mankinis and none of them have seen a gym before and you’re like: ‘Great.’

“You still get stag and hen dos but they’ve been reined in. There are certain rules and regulations, like the mankini ban. You’re not allowed fancy dress in certain bars over a certain time in the evenings.

Andy, who likes to wear spandex and cowboy boots, complained that the rules were so strict it had meant staff had refused him entry.

“There’s a difference between fancy dress and dressing fancy”, he said.

“It’s entertaining to a certain degree. The way I see it, living in Newquay, if you think you’re in the circus, it’s a headache; if you think it is a circus and you’re just watching it, it’s quite funny because you’re not taking it seriously.

“Fights are fights, it’s always going to happen. It’s the nature of mixing alcohol with idiots. You might not get it to such a grand scale now but it’s still going to happen.

“We want you to have a good time but also we want to have a good time, so don’t knock the bins over at 3am and wake everybody up.

“It’s just goofy stuff and not stuff the police can be running round and dealing with.”

He said tourists were attracted by the “little town mentality and community.”

Andy added: “Everyone’s welcome until they do something stupid and then they get shunned.

“It’s a small town; crime is pretty low.”

However, he said there was a problem with second homes – an epidemic across Cornwall.

Locals complain they are being priced out of their picturesque towns by people buying up their houses and raising costs.

Andy added: “There is a problem with second homes and the council renting out homes to undesirables. I’ve noticed that quite a lot.

“Families are just shoved in and they then treat the place like crap and then a couple months later they get kicked back out again because the council looks at the state of the place and goes: ‘Oh, you’re not taking care of this.’ That happens quite a lot.”

Peron Wills, a climbing instructor from nearby St Dennis, said he was part of the nightlife when he was younger.

The 38-year-old said: “It’s not as good a night out as it used to be.

“I have been on stag dos here and they were pretty crazy. They have New Year’s and Christmas parties still but I think it used to be crazier.

“I don’t go out anymore so I just assume nobody does.”

Mark Dixon has been in Newquay for 40 years. The arcade worker said it is nowhere near as busy as it used to be, as Newquay would be “booming” from the Easter holidays until the October half term.

However, he pointed to a trend rising throughout Cornwall – the second home.

Mark, 58, said: “We haven’t got any hotels anymore; most of them have been converted. There used to be a lot of guest houses but now there are second homes no one can afford.

“When I was younger there were quite a lot of clubs and pubs. Sailors is the only club we have in town.

“Bertie’s shut; Hotel Victoria, Prince Albert pub.”

He said the newcomers sometimes didn’t understand the small nature of the town.

Mark said: “People ask us: ‘Can you tell me where River Island is?’ “We say we haven’t got one and they look at you and wonder how we exist.

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