Rogue anglers blamed for leaving rubbish, fish guts and human excrement at a Torbay beauty spot have been locked out with fencing and a large metal gate. Anti-social behaviour and littering has been going on for more than five years at Berry Head Quarry in Brixham , where gangs have been landing 'industrial' quantities of fish. Locals say they have been intimidated by the gangs, who have left litter strewn across the rocks, along with fish guts and human excrement.
They are said to be reeling in thousands of mackerel and other fish before selling them. On one recent weekend there was reportedly a fight in the quarry between members of an established gang and a group of newcomers. There have also been reports of rocks being thrown at seals to keep them away.
Berry Head is part of Torbay's UNESCO-recognised geopark and home to greater horseshoe bats, a species rarer than the giant panda. The gangs have been disrupting the delicate habitat by putting up powerful lights. Now Torbay Council has stepped in, putting up a large metal fence and gate across the road which leads down to the quarry from Berry Head itself.
The closure came into force in the early hours of Saturday 8 June. A pioneering system of ropes and buoys has also been devised independently and used to disrupt fishing from the quarry. A council spokesman said: "We are aware of local concerns relating to recent anti-social behaviour in this location and the associated environmental damage it is causing.
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