Furious locals storm UK beach shut by French owners as Britain swelters in heatwave

As temperatures soar above 30 degrees, many Britons are looking for an outdoor space to enjoy with friends and family.

Newhaven West Beach in East Sussex has been closed to the public by its French owners, Newhaven Port and Properties, since 2008 on the grounds that it is unsafe for visitors.

But frustrated locals took matters into their own hands last weekend and stormed the beach, breaking down the locked gates blocking access to the sand and cold water.

Local retiree Jean Bacon said: ‘Someone cut the lock and everyone got down there.’ ‘We need our beach, we need it to be open. Disgusting.’

He remembered how he went to the beach as a child and the beach was ‘full of kids’.

Newhaven is one of the only sandy beaches in the area.

Local Jamie Turner said: “We’ve gotten used to the stones but it would be nice for kids and families to have the sand back.”

Frustrated locals took matters into their own hands and broke down locked gates as they sought access to the beach over the hot weekend. ‘Someone picked the lock and everyone got down there,’ said local pensioner Jean Bacon, pictured.

The 39-year-old actress emphasized that ‘the beach is a big part of the summer’ and described the situation as ‘really sad’.

He added: ‘There used to be cafes and everything there. Especially on a summer day like this, when it’s 30 degrees.’

Newhaven Port and Properties had previously rejected proposals to reopen the beach.

The broken lock was replaced on Monday morning.

Jamie said: ‘Breaking the law is never okay, but it would be nice if it could be explained legally and properly.’

Local politicians are campaigning to reopen the beach.

Liberal Democrat MP James MacCleary is pushing the Newhaven West Beach Public Access Bill.

It aims to open the beach through access rights that will also ensure safe roads to the beach’s beaches.

Jamie Turner, pictured, said: ‘Breaking the law is never allowed, but it would be nice if it could be opened legally and properly.’

The broken lock was replaced on Monday morning

The beach’s Newhaven Harbor and Facilities closed the area as it was deemed unsafe for visitors

MacCleary said: ‘West Beach is not just a strip of sand, it is part of Newhaven’s history, identity and community life.

‘For 17 years, local families, including mine, have been denied access to a beach where generations have swam, played and made memories. This cannot be true.

‘My West Beach Design is about justice. This is about standing up for a community that has been away from its own shores for too long.

‘Of course, security and port operations are important. But they cannot be used indefinitely as a blanket excuse to keep people away from beloved public comforts.

‘This is the first parliamentary bill to seek to legislate the right of access to West Beach. It sends a clear message: Newhaven deserves its beach back. The government now needs to accept this bill and enact it.’

The Daily Mail has contacted the Port of Newhaven and Properties for comment.

There have been numerous protests since the beach was closed in 2008.

The Mail reported in 2015 how townspeople would scale fences to use the land and hold a ‘protest picnic’.

There have been numerous protests over the years since the beach was closed in 2008.

At the time the High Court agreed that West Beach could not become a village green and therefore could not be enjoyed by local people.

They decided that the sand area, a joint venture of French local authorities, would remain fenced on the instructions of the owners.

The decision follows a campaign to register the beach as a village green so that people living in the nearby town can have unrestricted access to the beach.

In 2014, approximately 300 people attacked the fences surrounding the beach.

The group climbed over the barricade using the stairs while heading towards the sand when the water receded.

They then ran to the beach to spread Union Flags and write messages in the sand: ‘Give us back our surfing beach.’