A council which came under fire after horrendous scenes of overcrowding, violence and litter on the beaches last summer has vowed not to be "caught with its trousers down" again.

Few will forget the horrors on Thanet's beaches last year when thousands of sunseekers flocked to the coast as lockdown restrictions were lifted, coinciding with a heatwave.

On one day alone, Margate main sands saw 40,000 people cram onto the beach, with 22,000 on Viking Bay in Broadstairs.

What unfolded left residents devastated as large groups openly took drugs and boozed, and tonnes of rubbish was left strewn on the Isle's normally picturesque bays.

Over the hottest weeks of the year, there were shocking incidents including people fighting on Viking Bay in front of families, a blood-soaked man walking around after being bottled on Botany Bay and a huge fight on the steps at Margate.
There were rows over parking and toilet cleaners were abused, with security brought in with the sole purpose of protecting them, as well as crews patrolling the beaches.

As it quietened down in the evening, heartbroken locals were faced with devastating scenes of piles of rubbish, empty bottles, human excrement and nitrous oxide - laughing gas - cannisters dumped on the sand, with the council's cleaning teams and volunteers left to clear up the mess.

Police said at the time they were doing everything they could to clamp down on the trouble and Thanet District Council made a desperate plea to the government for help.

But this year, Cllr Rick Everitt, leader of the council, says the authority will not be caught out again, with a beach management plan increasing enforcement on the coast among other measures being brought in.

A consultation has just ended, with a decision expected in March, over the introduction of new public space protection orders (PSPOs).

They will cover issues such as people camping out, bonfires and anti-social behaviour including urination, defecation, spitting or littering, as well as taking drugs and drinking alcohol after being told not to.

The new PSPOs could also stop large gatherings of more than 20 people, with permission needed from the council for anyone wishing to do so.

New rules also look set to be introduced regarding powered water crafts, such as jet skis, after a number of reports last year of people using them in an unsafe and antisocial way.

Cllr Everitt says the easing of lockdown in 2020 brought problems as well as criticism of the council for not discouraging visitors - although a recent report by scientists found the crammed beaches did not cause a spike in infections.

He said: "Quite understandably, given the suddenness of the initial lockdown and then the Prime Minister’s relaxation of restrictions on travel, we were not ready for the influx.

"In particular the closure of all other public toilets and our own until we could put in place a safer cleaning regime, caused issues. This year our toilets will be open."

He says the beach management plan and additional measures put in place to manage crowds and deal with waste was a success, but admits there were some local problems the council was unable to address satisfactorily.

"At the same time, this surge in visitor numbers provided a shot in the arm the Thanet economy needed almost as much as the vaccine itself," he said.

"I believe the council and its partner agencies learned a lot last year and that further measures we are putting in place, such as the new PSPOs, will stand us in good stead in the months ahead.

"We can’t always predict the future – and the British weather in particular – and we are always limited by resources in what we can do, but I accept that the council will be judged harshly by residents if it is caught with its trousers down by visitor numbers this year.

"We are doing everything possible to avoid that, including addressing the issue of adequate public toilet facilities, in Margate and elsewhere, but inevitably there will be further challenges.

"We will do everything we can to anticipate them."

Read more: All the latest news from Thanet.