WITH high numbers of visitors expected to visit Southend seafront over the bank holiday weekend. Southend Council is spearheading an initiative to make sure everyone has a safe visit.

Operation Heatwave- which brings together teams responsible for highways, parking, waste, the police and local businesses- aims to prevent and respond to issues such as parking and beach litter.

Although temperatures are set to drop to the low 20s over the coming days, high numbers of visitors are still expected to visit the town, massively benefitting the local economy. 

The Council is also reminding visitors of actions they can take to keep safe on the beaches, after several serious incidents occurred this weekend at other resorts in the UK.

 Ann Holland, Executive Councillor for Culture, Tourism and the Economy, said: “It’s all about providing a safe and pleasant visitor experience that leaves people wanting to return to our town.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for visitors to reach the seafront, respond swiftly if children become lost from their parents, keep our town and award-winning beaches as clean as possible and prevent people coming to harm when visiting the beach..

“We can only achieve this by working closely together, planning ahead and ensuring we have resources available when they are most needed.

“I’m pleased to see the good progress on this new operation, which I hope will bring mutual benefits to visitors, residents and local businesses alike.”

Southend is one of the country’s most popular seaside destinations welcoming approximately 6.5 million visitors each year.

For the latest visitor information www.visitsouthend.co.uk