Life in ‘haunted’ Pontins seaside town as ‘unhygienic’ holiday park shuts down

Pontins is a British holiday tradition, loved by families for its sing-along live entertainment, beach locations, and arcades.

But while many of us may have grown up with fond memories at the firm’s parks, in recent days some of the sites have been hit by negative reviews.

One popular seaside Pontins in Brean, Somerset is one of those, slammed by former guests as “unhygienic” and “rundown”.

READ MORE: ‘Holiday from hell’ as boozy island Spring Break left revellers desperate to escape

Abd Brean’s Pontins is now shutting its doors to house 900 staff from Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant for three years – but reports claim the chalets are more derelict than ever.

Mirror reporter Nia Dalton took a trip to the “eerie ghost town” to see how the closure has hit other local businesses.

She described the atmosphere of the town as “flat and dull” despite the lovely weather, with most of the stores and food vans shut down.

One middle-aged bakery worker, who prefers to remain anonymous, told Nia that it “hasn’t been this quiet in six years” and it’s “understandably worrying for businesses”.

“Hinkley might help the local pubs but not our bakery. We’re shut when they’re in town,” she explains.

“It was fairly busy on the bank holiday. We haven’t got to summer yet. That will be the real test to see if it will pick up.”

The gates of Pontins and their large entertainment centre were described as “derelict”.

An unnamed employee told the reporter: “The nice weather has brought a lot of families in on weekends.

“There’s still a lot of holiday parks around. It won’t be as busy with Pontins shut but hopefully, we’ll get a decent trade in.”

But not everyone thinks that the closure will have such a negative effect on the town. Maise Jackson, a 17-year-old believes it won’t have much impact on the younger generation as there are other options.

Frequent visitor Roy Love, 76 also doesn’t think there will be much of an impact on tourism. He said: “I don’t think it will make much difference at all to the area, as Hinkley is for a limited time only during construction.

“Though I find it strange that they’re staying in Pontins, as it must be an hour’s commute every day.”

Kristy Roberts, 28, who recently opened a new over-18s cocktails and live music bar on the first floor of Krackers Karaoke Bar, sees the closure as a potential positive.

“I’m not necessarily worried about Pontins shutting down. It just might be a different crowd,” Kristy tells me.

“It’s always lively on weekends and summer holidays and quiet during the winter. Brean is seasonal.”

Keep up to date with all the latest news stories. By signing up for one of Daily Star’s free newsletters here.