A BUSINESS owner has hit back at claims Southend beaches are being inundated with visitors from outside the area during the lockdown.

Paul Thompson insists the well-known tourist hotspots in the town remain very quiet and says those walking on the seafront are predominantly locals.

It comes amid concerns about the high volume of visitors to East Beach in Shoeburyness, with one resident claiming there was a steady stream of people driving to the coast on Saturday.

But Mr Thompson, the former chair of the Seafront Traders association and a former director of Southend BID, insists walkers are doing nothing wrong.

He said: "I have quite a few businesses down near Marine Parade and I can tell you now it’s very quiet down there.

“That’s where you would expect daytrippers to go and they’re not there.

"You see people buying and walking around with cups of tea on the seafront because they're locals. There's no one buying postcards or gifts.

"If people are from the local area, then what's the problem with them walking on the beach as long as they are socially distanced?"

In response to fears daytrippers are travelling long-distances to Southend during the lockdown, Mr Thompson said: "Why would anyone want to travel a long way to Southend when it’s the middle of January and -1C?

“The town has been all over the news because of it’s high infection rate so no one would seriously think about coming here at the moment.”

Southend Council has closed all seafront car parks indefinitely to deter daytrippers during the lockdown.

Leader Ian Gilbert said this was in response to the high infection rates in the town.