We live in UK seaside town dubbed ‘Blackpool after a neutron bomb’ – but critics don’t know what they’re talking about
RESIDENTS have been left furious after critics dubbed a seaside town as one of the worst in the UK and likened it to "Blackpool after a bomb".
The 27,000 inhabitants of North Wales' Rhyl have been left at a loss after cruel comments suggesting "everything" the town has to offer is a disappointment.
One visitor left little to be envious of, describing the area as "Blackpool after a neutron bomb", and the criticism has hit residents hard.
It's not the first time the former staycation destination has been branded with backlash.
The Telegraph previously listed it as one of the worst seaside towns in the UK.
While crimerate.co.uk marked the region as Clwyd's most dangerous spot, with 206 crimes per 1,000 people last year.
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Crime and safety in Rhyl
Violence and sexual offences are the most common crimes in Rhyl, with 2,563 offences last year, giving a crime rate of 103.
This is 8% lower than 2022's figure of 2,771 offences and a difference of 8.34 from 2022's crime rate of 111, according to CrimeRate.
Rhyl's least common crime is theft from a person, with 18 offences recorded last year down by 28% from 2022's figure of 25 crimes.
Yet, many who live there have plenty of positives to add and disagree with the criticism.
Amongst a Facebook group for local residents, a host of various activities, workshops and craft stalls are regularly advertised with the slower paced lifestyle lending itself to a community feel.
Some have even taken to social media to share their thoughts.
One user said: "Rhyl is a lovely place... with a lovely beach."
Another put: "It's good for the family and we recommend it to others."
Someone else wrote: "Rhyl has a lovely golden sandy beach, that stretches all along the prom.
"There is an underground car park by the clock tower, one by pavilion theatre and one by the Marsdens pub."
A fourth commented: "Lovely spot - arcades, sandy beaches, little funfair.
"Lots to do with the family - clean and tidy - easy parking. Welsh seaside fun."
Despite small seaside towns across the UK often receiving negative attention, it seems many appreciate what Rhyl has to offer.
From its proximity to beautiful locations, cheap house prices and even classic fish and chips, holidaymakers put off by the unwanted feedback for the town may want to reconsider.
According to Rightmove, average house prices in the area were £172,791 over the last year - far lower than the national average of £288,000.
Town residents have rejected the harsh narrative for many years.
"I was born and bred here - I even refused to move to Benidorm with my dad because I love it here so much."
The negativity surrounding the region has been whipped up by social media users, with their comments brandishing the small seaside town with extreme judgement.
One user on X, formerly known as Twitter, said: "That one time we went to Rhyl, expecting a quaint seaside town, it was like that scene in National Lampoon's vacation where they get lost in a ghetto."
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Another wrote: "Having visited both places several times, can confirm Chernobyl / Pripyat is far more of of an appealing place to go to than Rhyl, and most UK seaside resorts in all honesty."
Someone else said: "From a visit 9 years ago to the seaside oddity that is Rhyl, it's partly atmospheric and partly run down."
Full table of the best UK seaside towns
The full table created by Which? of the UK's best seaside towns and their overall customer scores.
- Bamburgh, Northumberland - 86%
- Portmeirion, Gwynedd, Wales - 83%
- St Andrews, Fife, Scotland - 82%
- Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear - 81%
- St Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales - 80%
- Dartmouth, Devon - 79%
- Rye, East Sussex - 79%
- Southwold, Suffolk - 79%
- Llandudno, Conwy, Wales - 78%
- Swanage, Dorset - 78%
- Aldeburgh, Suffolk - 77%
- Crail, Fife, Scotland - 77%
- Lyme Regis, Dorset - 77%
- Whitby, North Yorkshire - 77%
- Blakeney, Norfolk - 76%
- Criccieth, Gwynedd, Wales - 76%
- Portstewart, Co. Londonderry/Derry, NI - 76%
- Sidmouth, Devon - 76%
- Bally Castle, County Antrim, NI - 75%
- Frinton-on-Sea, Essex - 75%
- Nairn, Highlands, Scotland - 75%
- Sheringham, Norfolk - 75%
- St Mawes, Cornwall - 75%
- Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales - 74%
- Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales - 74%
- Bude, Cornwall - 74%
- Conwy, Conwy, Wales - 74%
- Deal, Kent - 74%
- Lytham St Annes, Lancashire - 74%
- North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland - 74%
- Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire - 74%
- Amble, Northumberland - 73%
- Beer, Devon - 73%
- Cromer, Norfolk - 73%
- Dungeness, Kent - 73%
- Falmouth, Cornwall - 73%
- Lymington, Hampshire - 73%
- Lynmouth, Devon - 73%
- Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales - 73%
- Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear - 73%
- Fowey, Cornwall - 72%
- Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland - 72%
- Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire - 72%
- Weymouth, Dorset - 72%
- Aberdovey, Gwynedd, Wales - 71%
- Broadstairs, Kent - 71%
- Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland - 71%
- Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland - 71%
- Seahouses, Northumberland - 71%
- Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland - 71%
- Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland - 71%
- Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk - 71%
- Exmouth, Devon - 70%
- Filey, North Yorkshire - 70%
- Mevagissey, Cornwall - 70%
- Looe, Cornwall - 69%
- Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales - 69%
- Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, Wales - 69%
- Ullapool, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland - 69%
- Ventnor, Isle of Wight - 69%
- Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland - 68%
- Budleigh Salterton, Devon - 68%
- Clevedon, Somerset - 68%
- Whitstable, Kent - 68%
- Easbourne, East Sussex - 67%
- Grand-over-Sands, Cumbria - 67%
- Shanklin, Isle of Wight - 67%
- Southsea, Hampshire - 67%
- St ives, Cornwall - 67%
- Teignmouth, Devon - 67%
- Barmouth, Gwynedd, Wales - 66%
- Brixham, Devon - 66%
- Portrush, County Antrim, NI - 66%
- West Bay, Devon - 66%
- Dunbar, East Lothian - 65%
- Felixstowe, Suffolk - 65%
- Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland - 65%
- Appledore, Devon - 64%
- Bournemouth, Dorset - 64%
- Padstow, Cornwall - 64%
- Plymouth, Devon - 64%
- Salcombe, Devon - 64%
- Abersoch, Gwynedd, Wales - 63%
- Brighton, East Sussex - 63%
- Hunstanton, Norfolk - 63%
- Porthmadog, Gwynedd, Wales - 63%
- Torquay, Devon - 63%
- Poole, Dorset - 62%
- Scarborough, North Yorkshire - 62%
- Worthing, West Sussex - 62%
- Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales - 61%
- Folkestone, Kent - 61%
- Porthcawl, Bridgend, Wales - 61%
- Swansea, Swansea, Wales - 61%
- Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire - 60%
- Minehead, Somerset - 60%
- Penzance, Cornwall - 60%
- Barry Island, Glamorgan, Wales - 59%
- Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire - 59%
- Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Wales - 58%
- Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset - 58%
- Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland - 57%
- Dawlish, Devon - 57%
- Morecambe, Lancashire - 57%
- New Brighton, Merseyside - 57%
- Newquay, Cornwall - 57%
- Seaton, Devon - 57%
- Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, Wales - 56%
- Herne Bay, Kent - 56%
- Ramsgate, Kent - 56%
- Ilfracombe, Devon - 55%
- Littlehampton, West Sussex - 55%
- Southport, Merseyside - 55%
- Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire - 54%
- Lowestoft, Suffolk - 54%
- Margate, Kent - 53%
- Southend-on-Sea, Essex - 53%
- Fleetwood, Lancashire - 51%
- Great Yarmouth, Norfolk - 51%
- Blackpool, Lancashire - 49%
- Clacton-on-Sea, Essex - 48%
- Skegness, Lincolnshire - 48%
- Bognor Regis, West Sussex - 47%
- Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset - 47%
- Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire - 46%
- Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales - 42%