An idyllic seaside village which was once described as a “hidden gem” is enduring a plague of inconsiderate tourists following a surge in popularity.
Furious residents said they are being forced to move out because their village is no longer “secret” and they have nowhere to park in Staithes, North Yorkshire.
But the influx of visitors has caused a huge divide, with tourists branding the locals’ stand-offish behaviour as “awful”.
READ MORE ‘Britain’s best bodybuilder’ left homeless by gang attack says stripping saved his life
Some people even admitted that the relationship between residents and visitors has become “awkward”, following the ongoing dispute with drivers parking outside of people’s homes.
Tourists have reported coming up against irate locals, some of whom are annoyed by visitors’ manners, or lack of them, reports Yorkshire Live.
One unimpressed visitor, Imogen, writing on TripAdvisor, described Staithes as a lovely place but she wasn’t impressed by the welcome she received. She said: “Nice place, awful locals.
(Image: Peter Harbour – Yorkshire Live)
“Lovely picturesque place with a nice beach and short journey to Whitby. Unfortunately, the locals are absolutely awful. It’s a bit Royston Vasey.”
Royston Vasey is the fictional Northern town in the black comedy The League of Gentleman where people who aren’t “local” are viewed with suspicion.
Many of the TripAdvisor reviews are very positive about Staithes, calling it a “great little gem” and “very scenic”, but the July 2022 review about ‘awful locals’ does not come as a surprise to people who live and work in the village.
One business owner said that Staithes had seen a rise in visitors which the village infrastructure could barely cope with.
“Locals around here rub along with tourists as best they can, under enormous strain every day, and there will always be flashpoints,” they said.
(Image: Ian Cooper / Teesside Live)
“Visitor numbers have gone up and when I walk down to the village you can see people trying to cross the road at the funny junction. You would be amazed how people leave their car parked in the middle of the street.
“It’s busy in the winter and the summer. We don’t ever have an off-season. The holiday cottages are busy.”
The problems have led some to consider moving away from the busiest parts of the village.
One local said: “The village is not like it used to be 20 years ago. A lot are leaving. There are too many visitors and it is no longer a secret place.
“People are moving house to the top of the village. They will come down when they want to.”
He added: “The visitors who bring cars down when they are not supposed to, and park outside locals’ houses, it rubs up locals.
“We had an incident the other day where someone was bringing a caravan down. And then you get kids climbing on people’s walls. It has got too busy for me.”
To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up for one of our newsletters here .
READ NEXT