TOURISTS lick ice creams as they squint across golden sands to the sun-dappled sea, oblivious that they are yards away from a street so dangerous locals call it 'Death Row'.
Strolling along the promenade in Bridlington – opened in 1928 by HRH Princess Mary Viscountess Lascelles – it's almost impossible to imagine the terrifying world a minute's walk from the quaint seafront.
It's a place holidaymakers never see unless they take a mistaken turn on their way to one of the East Yorkshire seaside town's many B&Bs.
But for those who live on Tennyson Avenue, it's a world away from the family-friendly atmosphere of the beach, even though it's so close the laughter of children can be heard on the breeze.
The street was once at the heart of Bridlington's tourist trade, with many of its grand Victorian buildings operating as flourishing guesthouses.
But the town's heyday as a holiday resort is now well behind as it wrestles with a new and unwelcome distinction as one of the most deprived places in Britain.
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Gemma, 37, is almost at a loss for words when asked what daily life is like on Tennyson Avenue, where she lives with her boyfriend in a privately rented ground floor flat.
She says: "They call this street Death Row, that's how bad it is here.
"The tourists don't even know it exists unless they end up on here by accident, which sometimes happens because we're right behind the front.
"If they do, they're quickly out of here. You can see the fear on their faces because the drug trade has turned this place into a ghetto.
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17"The county lines gangs from the big cities, especially Bradford, have moved in and they're recruiting kids to run crack and heroin around the streets.
"There are 12-year-old kids running drugs to buy themselves a new trackie and trainers. They're in it up to their necks and too young to realise the danger they're putting themselves in.
"It can kick off here any time, but the nights are worst. It's crazy, I've seen people carrying guns.
"It's called Death Row because of the amount of people who die here from drug addiction. It happens all the time and it's getting worse. They round up one gang and another one moves in."
They call this street Death Row, that's how bad it is here… It can kick off here any time, but the nights are worst. It's crazy, I've seen people carrying guns
Further along the avenue Hayden Baker, 41, is sitting on his doorstep enjoying a morning cuppa in the sunshine.
As our reporter approaches he gives a gappy smile by way of a greeting.
"I've got a dentist's appointment tomorrow," says Hayden. "I hate looking like this because around here people assume your teeth have fallen out due to drug abuse, but that's not the case, not for me at least."
The truth behind Hayden's missing teeth is even more savage.
Last October he decided to intervene when he saw a neighbour being beaten by suspected drug addicts, right outside his house.
Hayden, who is on sickness benefits, says: "I get along with most of my neighbours and even though this area’s has a lot of problems, there's quite a nice sense of community.
"But the place has been ruined by drugs. Where there's a market there will be dealers and unfortunately there is a major market here and they're exploiting it.
"Last October there was a commotion outside, your standard fall-out between addicts or dealers, and my neighbour asked them to move along.
"When I looked out of my window he was being punched and kicked so I ran out to help him.
"Unfortunately they then turned on me and the beating I took cost me my front teeth and one on the bottom row as well.
I ran out to help my neighbour… Unfortunately they then turned on me and the beating I took cost me my front teeth and one on the bottom row as well
"It was vicious and unnecessary and it all came down to people on drugs, specifically crack cocaine and heroin.
"It's the scourge of this area and it's made this street dangerous to walk along at night, it's really scary."
Hayden's plight has also revealed another problem facing Bridlington – a lack of healthcare amenities.
Hayden says: "My appointment is in Newcastle. This town has been forgotten about, I rang every dentist here and in the surrounding area and couldn't get work done on the NHS.
"So it's a long trip, but I hope it will be worth it, looking like this is a constant reminder of what happened that night."
'Out of control'
One member of an eight-strong county lines drug gang operated from his flat in Tennyson Avenue – once part of a traditional seaside guesthouse.
Police smashed the gang, which trafficked £2million-worth of crack, heroin and cannabis into Bridlington from its base in Bradford.
The eight culprits charged were jailed for a total of 83 years in May for the operation they launched during 2021.
But as quickly as they were taken off the streets, others moved into their place and the drug trade ramped back up with a vengeance.
Hayden points up the street and says: "There was an addict found dead recently in that alley up there," he says. "It's out of control."
The drug problem is rooted in the shocking poverty now obvious across East Riding – and Bridlington in particular.
Last month the latest figures from the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) placed Bridlington as the 85th most deprived area of Britain, out of 32,844 local authority districts.
According to figures from The Hinge, a Bridlington-based charity formed to combat poverty in the town, 56 per cent of people in its immediate area are facing some kind of deprivation, and it ranks in the top 10 per cent of all areas of poverty.
The charity says Bridlington was disproportionately affected by the lockdowns, "due to a history of decline, with a lack of investment leading to generations already relying on benefits and those in employment having insecure, seasonal and part-time opportunities largely in the hospitality sector, which has been decimated by the pandemic".
'Worrying situation'
A short walk from Tennyson Avenue, at the town's Salvation Army HQ, Major Barbara Jeffery is helping volunteers clear up after a sale.
The building is a lifeline to Bridlington's hardest pressed residents.
Major Jeffery says: "We run food banks here, which are a vital resource to a growing number of people in Bridlington.
"We are seeing greater numbers than ever coming to us for help and I think that must be down to the cost of living crisis placing people under an even greater strain than ever.
"We also have a homelessness problem in the town. We do our best to help everyone but there are rough sleepers who simply have nowhere to go.
"People tend to go to seaside towns because it's a place where they have been happy in the past, perhaps a link to some nice childhood memories.
"But when they arrive here, unfortunately, they find the same problems here that exist in the bigger towns and cities.
"We are seeing a lot of food poverty, people on the lowest incomes who simply can't afford to eat and that includes families.
"It is a worrying situation and we do all we can to help, along with the church and MIND and other local charities.
"There is only so much that we can do, but people know we are here to help."
Panic button
It's this grinding poverty that has led to the Travis Street Launderette taking the drastic step of installing a panic button.
Worker Susan Hanks, 57, who lives above the premises tells us: "Unfortunately the panic button was needed because of the amount of crime we've been suffering.
"The machines have what the drug addicts need – cash. They operate on £1 coins and they know that if they manage to break into them it's easy money for their next fix.
"My husband has had to intervene and chase them out but they come in brazenly and try to break into the machines.
"For some reason Thursday is the worst day of the week. They gather outside and argue and fight. It can be complete chaos.
Unfortunately the panic button was needed because of the amount of crime we've been suffering… My husband has had to intervene and chase them out but they come in brazenly and try to break into the machines
"In the summer all you can smell is weed, especially when they harvest the crops hidden in these old houses. The place just stinks of it."
Behind the launderette another stink is rising above the pleasant aroma of fresh washing, and this time it has nothing to do with drugs.
A mound of fly-tipped rubbish, including dog and cat faeces and rotting food waste, has been left to fester there for around three months, according to locals.
Neighbourhood Watch coordinator Zofia Wild, 69, has done her best to have it removed by liaising with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
She says: "It's absolutely disgusting and it stinks, it's horrible for the residents to have to live with that behind their homes.
"People are coming here to dump rubbish down the alleyways, it's a big problem – among all the other problems.
"The drug dealing and the antisocial behaviour it brings with it are a blight on the area.
"They are so open about it as well, you can hear them on their phones saying, 'We're here now, can you come down and pick up.'
"The police do their best but they choose places that aren't covered by cameras to do their deals."
One of those uncovered meeting spots is outside JB hairdressers, run by John Butterfield, 59, for the past 34 years.
Despite the dysfunction all around him, John is a fierce defender of Bridlington.
He says: "It's true that it has changed a lot since I started this business.
"These streets used to be full of nice guesthouses with families staying in them bringing money in.
"But then they became holiday lets and eventually bedsits which has brought in drug and alcohol problems.
"It's not that long ago that these streets were full of colour from flowers in hanging baskets – people would almost compete with each other to see who could have the best display.
"The place was lovely and it's true it's deteriorated, but there are so many places that are much, much worse.
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"Bridlington is a lovely community and as far as I'm concerned, it is still one of the best places you could live in the whole of Yorkshire."
The Sun reached out to East Riding of Yorkshire Council for comment.
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