SEASIDE lovers have always hailed Southend as one of the best seafront towns to visit in the country with its bustling seafront, glorious beaches and guaranteed family fun.

But proud business owners and locals have been left puzzled as the tourist hotspot failed to make the list of UK’s best seaside towns.

The survey, by Which? ranked St Mawes in Cornwall as the top town and Essex rival Clacton as one of the bottom spots but Southend was nowhere to be seen.

Residents have now jumped on board to defend the borough’s place in the rankings.

They say it is home to the world’s longest pleasure pier, a whole array of food outlets, beaches, entertainment and family fun.

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Resident Tim Gillett believes Shoebury East Beach is actually the “hidden gem of England”.

The 59-year-old from Shoebury, said: “Southend is a fantastic place to visit, and if anybody is worried about avoiding areas it could be busy in, give the central part a miss and pop down to Shoebury East Beach.

“It’s the hidden gem of England.

See the full list here

"So many people love to go there, you can go for a nice stroll, watch the wind surfers, paddle board and even have a barbecue if you behave.

“You can almost guarantee good weather too, Southend and Great Wakering are said to be dryer than Jerusalem - it barely ever rains.”

Martin Richardson, owner of the Happidrome Arcade in Marine Parade, is urging visitors to come and see for themselves what the borough has to offer.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

Photo by Anna Lukala

He said: “It is quite on the seafront at the moment, with the changing world we’re in I do think public confidence has been knocked. But ultimately we must be doing something right - we haven’t gone into local lockdown and infection rates are dropping.

“There really is all you need here, we’ve got blue flag beaches, city beach fountains so people can play and paddle whether the tide is in or out, an abundance of food outlets, attractions and arcades, the Adventure Island theme park, what more could you want on a fun-filled day out?

“It’s safe for people to visit, if the public play their part and socially distance.

“Come and see for yourself.”

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Eddie Farooq, supervisor at the Royal Fish and Chips in Southend High Street, added: “There is so much culture here and Southend is a great attraction for people coming to and from London.

“Please come and enjoy some chips and support your local businesses.”