Our pretty seaside town has been left to rot… there are no jobs, the pier’s a glorified chippy and people sleep on beach | The Sun
August 3, 2023A DISCARDED food wrapper blows along the pavement of a deserted street while under murky gun-metal skies, a few brave souls set up camp on the beach.
But it's not just the unseasonably grey summer weather that has cast a cloud over the seaside resort of Cleethorpes.
The town on Lincolnshire's east coast has been hit hard by years of economic downturns and a rising crime rate.
Last week it was revealed jobs in once-loved British seaside towns have plummeted by 50,000 in a decade – with Cleethorpes seeing 2,700 jobs go.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has promised to "make our seaside towns great again" by slashing and reforming business rates.
She also said she would ensure sewage being pumped into the sea was banned, and aim to boost tourism.
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But when The Sun visited, locals aren't convinced. Nichola Porter, 40, who works as a care assistant, says: "Oh don’t get me started on bloody Labour.
"They all say everything but none of them bring anything to the table. I can’t see anything changing. Things are far too gone."
She adds: "It’s a dead end now. Everything is closed. There’s nothing much going on. With everyone struggling it’s getting worse."
It's mid-afternoon but several shops and businesses at The North Prom have been deserted.
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16A cafe which boasts of selling "the biggest breakfast on the prom" has its graffiti-clad shutters down, and the souvenir shop next door is also closed – both once part of the enormous indoor market now left to rot.
It used to be a big attraction, and was the first market to be allowed to open on a Sunday, but it shut down 12 years ago.
Cleethorpe's once busy theme park, Pleasure Island, followed suit in 2016.
Meanwhile it's near impossible to turn a corner and not be faced with a "to let" or "for sale" sign.
I’m retiring next year after 30 years. I can’t wait to get out. Cleethorpes is in terminal decline
A seafront trader selling fish, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells us: "The North Prom is a s***hole.
"It has been in decline ever since the Sunday Market shut. People would flock here, especially on Sundays.
"The council have done nothing. The only public toilets for miles are a disgrace. Teenagers run riot here at night.
"I’m retiring next year after 30 years. I can’t wait to get out. Cleethorpes is in terminal decline."
'Sleeping under a shed'
Just a few metres down the road a homeless man, who gives his name as Dwayne, reveals he has been forced to sleep rough after his hopes of finding work were dashed.
The 38-year-old says: "I got evicted and came to Cleethorpes looking for accommodation and then a job. I’m struggling to find either.
"Things are tough for a lot of people at the moment.
"I’m sleeping under a shed on the beach but got soaked the other night.
"It’s a bit safer here than in towns and cities."
'Drugs and alcohol are everywhere'
Leslie Williams, 69, a retired cold store worker agrees that the town has gone downhill rapidly.
"The decline of the fishing industry in the 1970s really hit Grimsby and Cleethorpes hard," he says.
"North Prom desperately needs investment. I don’t know how businesses survive up there. It’s the height of the summer and it’s quiet.
"I can believe the crime rate being high. Drugs and alcohol. It’s everywhere.
"Seaside resorts are being hit hard in this recession.
"In the fishing industry, you worked hard and played hard. It was a tradition.
"Unfortunately those jobs have gone now but the tradition of boozing has remained."
Violent crime
Support worker Aaron Gray, 29, has lived in Cleethorpes most of his life and believes there has been a rise in violent crime.
He says: "It can get quite rowdy at the weekend. There have been two stabbings recently.
"People come to Cleethorpes from Grimsby and they have a skinful and there are issues.
"I have lost friends to knife crime. It seems to be more frequent. I have friends who struggle to find jobs."
I have lost friends to knife crime. It seems to be more frequent. I have friends who struggle to find jobs
According to stats from CrimeRate, the most common crimes reported in the area in 2022 were violence and sexual offences.
There were 1, 679 that year – an eight per cent increase from 2021's figure.
Around the pier, the once-buzzing arcades are quiet and the rides half-full.
A young man tending to his empty rides tells us: "No one is spending any money!"
He adds that if the downturn continues, he may lose his source of income.
'No money'
Seaway Fish and Chips is one of the biggest chippies in Cleethorpes. Although it’s on the seafront, at a glance it looks closed.
Only an open door signals any sign of life.
"It's the cost of living. No one has any money," says Julie Sachro, 53 who is sat behind the counter checking her mobile phone.
"A lot of people get paid at the end of the month so I’m hoping things will pick up at the weekend.
"Restaurants down Sea View Street have closed."
Even holidaymakers who visit Cleethorpes have noticed it's not the bustling tourist destination it once was.
German national Dirk, 60, and his wife Heike, 58, are on their fourth visit to the UK.
The last time they were here was in 2018 – and they admit they've seen a huge change.
"It’s sad to see," says Dirk. "The cost of living crisis and Brexit has played a part we think. We were sorry to see Britain leave the EU.
"There are a lot of closed shops. It has been quite a nice day but no one seems to be rushing here for their holidays.
"It’s good for us but not for the shops. It feels like the end of the season."
Steve Hall, 69, a retired miner from Barnsley has been visiting Cleethorpes all his life.
He's there for the day with his two grandchildren, and tells us: "There’s nowt here. Everywhere is shut.
"It’s the worst seaside place in the UK apparently. The Pier used to have entertainment. Now it’s a glorified chippy.
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"The grandkids have enjoyed it though – they have been on the beach for a couple of hours. They have entertained themselves."
Finally, a couple of satisfied customers.
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