Inside UK's abandoned once-loved holiday resort now a 'dump stuck in time warp'
People stuck living in a once-loved holiday resort that attracted top celebrities have blasted it as a "crime-ridden hellhole" that has been allowed to decay.
It used to have a thriving tourist economy and once attracted huge showbiz names including Edwin Starr, Freddie Mercury, Tommy Cooper and Shirley Bassey, but Canvey Island in Essex has seen serious decline in recent years, with many locals trying desperately to find a way out.
Recent crime statistics show the island has become one of the top five most dangerous medium-size towns in Essex, with a shocking overall crime rate of 86 crimes per 1,000 people, worse than the overall rate of 83 per 1,000. While the island was in its pomp it saw huge crowds flock to its amusement laden streets and beaches, but now the seafront is littered with empty buildings.
The esplanade is now dominated by shuttered shops and defunct businesses (Bloomberg via Getty Images)And speaking to MailOnline, one man said: "I can't stand it anymore. It's hell on earth. I'm moving to Kent. It's a dump," while Roger Thomas, 81, who has lived in the town for 55 years, said: "It's become a crime ridden hellhole. It has no soul anymore. I don't have the strength to move else I would get out. It's so sad. It used to be lovely. It was lively, very busy with tourists and always packed. Now more people are leaving than coming in. I do not feel safe on the seafront. It's terrible. A friend of mine was robbed at knifepoint the other month."
Many residents fear going down to the seafront because of rampant crime (Getty Images)The decline has also seen the island slammed online and voted one of the top 153 depressing places in the country by website iLiveHere's annual poll. By the 1960s, thousands of people used it as their go-to destination where they could relax on deckchairs on the beach, explore the pleasure gardens and partake in the local delicacy of jellied eels.
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Another resident said that the decaying town was "stuck in a time warp", staying there was "like living in 1970" and that despite having many of the UK's biggest stars performing there, "now it's dead". Kim Pattimore, 64, who works at the Fantasy Island Arcade near the seafront, said the authorities must make improvements to the area as a matter of urgency. She said: "It's a lot quieter than it used to be. It's very limited and empty. It needs investment and we need fewer empty shops. It's still very old-fashioned."
The Leisure Island fun park looks tired but used to be a huge attraction for tourists (Getty Images)And builder Ryan Parker, 33, said he had given up on staying after trying to live there for three years was about to move out the island after living here for three years, adding: "People don't care about it anymore. we feel abandoned. It's like they just want to shove all the rubbish down here and then forget about it. Look at all the graffiti, look at all the abandoned shops and empty units. It's the charity shop capital of Britain as well."
When the 20th century began, Canvey Island was home to just 300 people but it soon became a thriving seaside resort with fairground rides and food stalls. The resort was created by entrepreneur Frederick Hester and included a huge promenade and pier, as well as winter gardens and monorails, although many of these no longer exist.
David Blackwell, leader of Castle Point Borough Council, which has authority over the island, blamed 20 years of a Conservative administration but that the new independent control aims to spend £5 million this year to try to address some of the decline, adding: "Canvey has a bright future under our administration I have lived here all my life and campaign to get improvements as leader of the opposition and am now in a position to be able to do something about it as leader of the council."
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