Beach 'must be made safer' (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Beach 'must be made safer'

5:38pm Thursday 29th October 2009

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SAFETY measures on an increasingly popular beach must be dealt with, according to a community leader.

Jaywick Forum member Suzie Shimell called for more safety provision on the beach in August, including lifebelts and new signs warning of a strong current.

She also called for Tendring Council to look into putting members of Clacton's beach patrol on site.

Leisure portfolio holder Stephen Mayzes said he would look into the matter, which is complicated by the fact that Jaywick beach has no legal owner, but Ms Shimmel says she has heard nothing more since then.

She is keen to see something done before the tourist season begins next summer, particularly after the drowning of ten-year-old Stella Akanbi in Clacton this summer.

She said: “Our beaches are packed more than Clacton's sometimes.

“Now I have started the ball rolling, if you leave it until next summer they will just forget about it.”

Nigel Brown, Tendring Council’s communications manager, said the council is continuing to look into the requests made by the Jaywick Forum and Ms Shimell.

He said: “This is far from a straight forward issue and we are continuing to investigate.

“The council’s environmental services, leisure services, legal services and technical and procurement services, who are all involved, have met to discuss this already and are meeting again to see if there is a way to take this forward.”

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