The seaside town of Bournemouth has stopped renting out deckchairs on the seafront over fears they could be used as weapons, it has been reported.

There are usually 3,500 yellow and blue canvas chairs available for holidaymakers to hire for the day, but they have been plunged into storage for the season following incidents of antisocial behaviour, according to one local councillor.

Liberal Democrat council member for Tory-controlled Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council Vikki Slade told the Daily Mail she had raised the absence of the deckchairs this summer, assuming their removal was Covid-related.

“The response I got was that it had nothing to do with that,” she said. “They said it was because they had antisocial behaviour last year and they were concerned about the safety of staff and the possibility of chairs being used as weapons.”

Ms Slade said the “stupidity of the excuse” had left her “mortified”.

“I thought they were joking or that someone had made a mistake, so I contacted them three times but got the same response,” she added.

“I don’t recall any situations where people were fighting with deckchairs. Even if that were the case, you don’t just get rid of the chairs – you increase security or have police patrolling the beach.”

Fights reportedly broke out along Bournemouth’s promenade last summer, following swathes of visitors heading to the seaside as lockdown rules eased.

A council spokesman said: “As part of our seasonal response planning, the decision was made not to hire out our deckchairs or sun loungers this year.

“The well-being and safety of our staff, residents and visitors was a priority in this decision.

“Unfortunately Covid-19 brought a lot of issues to the forefront last year, with overcrowding on the beaches and the subsequent problems that arose prompting us to make these changes.”

The council, which usually rents out the chairs for £3.50 each, is down around £200,000 as a result of the chairs’ removal, Ms Slade estimated.

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