Extra officers to patrol beach

In the summer as many as 1,000 young people descend on the beach

Extra police officers are to patrol a Cornish holiday resort and its beach every night for the next few weeks.

The move is to control the mass invasion by hundreds of public school pupils who come to Polzeath to let their hair down after their exams.

Local people have said their lives are blighted by so-called "snob-yobs".

"They give themselves a bad reputation by behaving badly and being so disrespectful," a local resident said.

Police said the extra patrols would actually save money by preventing serious incidents, which can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Other people live here for 52 weeks and they have to put up with the rubbish, disturbances, noise and inconvenience Insp Ian Marshall, Devon and Cornwall Police

Insp Ian Marshall said: "If the youths are curtailed in what they're doing they don't get drunk and we don't need to call an ambulance for them.

"And they're not having beach parties and setting fire to things, so the fire service isn't called out."

The area's two local parish councils, St Minver Highlands and St Minver Lowlands, will both contribute about £5,000 each to pay for the extra patrols.

Jane Shepherd from St Minver Highlands said the amount had increased this year, because the contributions from businesses had fallen.

"Local businesses have been paying the majority of the costs up until now and they're getting a bit fed up with with," she said.

"A lot of people are now refusing to pay."

Alcohol confiscation

In previous years police have written to the head teachers of some public schools asking them to speak to their pupils about their behaviour while on holiday.

Insp Marshall said alcohol would be confiscated from under-age drinkers and anyone who went beyond acceptable behaviour would be arrested and their parents could be taken to court.

"These young people are down here for one or two weeks in the year," he said.

"What they have to remember is that other people live here for 52 weeks and they have to put up with the rubbish, disturbances, noise and inconvenience," he added.