Police up patrols in Newquay ahead of influx of summer visitors to the town

Extra patrols are being carried out in Newquay as an influx of young tourists are expected to visit the Cornish town.

With GCSE and A-level exams ending, beach rangers and police in Newquay are preparing for thousands of young people to descend on the town to "party on the beach".

While leaders in the town say Newquay's image has changed in recent years for it to become more of a family-friendly place than a party town, there have been issues with antisocial behaviour in the summer months.

Ranger Andy Stewart and his team will be patrolling daily throughout the summer and encouraging people to be respectful.

Andy's position is a unique paid role funded through car parking revenue in Polzeath. He says his job is a tricky one, having to keep order and keep people safe without spoiling their fun.

"Some schools break up before others and that particular demographic like to come here and let off steam, which is totally understandable," he told ITV News West Country.

"Early in July we get a particular problem - that is just the younger generation who have done their exams and they want to come and party on the beach."

Andy says in previous years there have been issues with people partying on the beach, as well as life-saving equipment being damaged or tampered with.

He said: "Fires on the beach are banned because they leave a lot of ash and people tend to leave bottles and things in them, and people break bottles on the beach once they've had too much to drink.

"We also have issues with the life-saving equipment being messed around with."

Devon and Cornwall Police is preparing to ramp up police cover in Newquay, where the population more than triples in July and August.

Section Inspector Guy Blackford said police patrols in Newquay are increased in the summer, especially in the evening when the nighttime economy is at its b

"We bring officers in from other areas to help us when we've got events like Boardmasters on," he added.

He also said emergency services work together to manage the influx of people.

Newquay BID Manager Mark Warren says that over the past decade there have been considerable efforts to reposition Newquay as a family resort and not a party town. He says the town now has a quieter and safer atmosphere in the evening.

"It's really grown up," he said. "Newquay's just different and it's family-friendly. It's about adventure now.

"The nighttime economy is restaurants and fantastic experiences. It's not all about nightclubbing. It's a very, very different place from 10-20 years ago to now, you can't even compare."