Damning comments about one of Kent’s up-and-coming towns have sparked debate - after visitors called it dirty and run-down.

Folkestone has seen its stock rise massively in recent years thanks to consistent investment from former Saga boss Sir Roger de Haan, which has included the regeneration of the Harbour Arm.

Yet The Stade, a prime spot overlooking the harbour, was slated by a school tourist group last week – with both teachers and pupils quick to point out the various flaws they felt were being overlooked.

It comes less than a month after The Sunday Times described the seaside town as the best place to live in the south east of England.

Andy Burnett, a lifelong resident of the town and owner of Sandy's Fish and Chips, just a stone’s throw from the harbour, says he is “saddened” by the state of the area.

“We had a lots of pupils visiting last week who were running about with clipboards taking photos of anything and everything,” said the 47-year-old.

“Their teacher came into the shop and I was keen to see what they thought, but she seemed embarrassed and her words shocked me. She said it was dirty, run-down, forgotten and dangerous.

“I love the town, I love the harbour, I've spent hundreds of thousands generating three businesses down here now, and I'm proud of it.

“But you've got people that are coming down and actually looking at the area and you're going ‘oh it's lovely, isn't it?’ and they look at me and say it's filthy, it's dirty and it's dangerous.

“I had to walk around myself, and I was actually shocked – I was saddened by the state of it.”

Issues highlighted in the area include clogged drains, litter, untidy signs and damaged electrical boxes – revealing the insides to the general public.

A public toilet block also faced criticism, with observers raising concerns over strong unpleasant odours and a potentially unsound structure.

It comes in stark contrast to the “eye-catching culture-led regeneration” The Sunday Times highlighted in its verdict of Folkestone last month.

Part of the issue comes from the shared ownership of the land, with council bosses saying the area - which includes the popular Rocksalt restaurant - is “owned by multiple stakeholders”.

Now, Mr Burnett hopes to alert others to the problems at hand – though insists his passion comes from a love for his hometown.

He said: “I’m not trying to bash the town, my idea is to say ‘come on, wake up, the summer's coming so let's get the place back to a reasonable standard’.

“You're thinking, who's actually responsible for cleaning this up? You log it online but the council doesn’t do anything.

“Is that how we want to portray our town? You see how busy it is down there and we're all doing so well but you wonder why the hell do people come here when it looks like that?

“I went to Brighton recently and it was spotless, it can be done if we want it to.

“This area should be the jewel in Folkestone’s crown.”

Mr Burnett’s concerns have been supported by many other residents on social media, with people calling on Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) to take action.

Monica Gear said: “There are a lot of people that do not know what a bin is for starters, but the council doesn’t use our money to everyone's advantage.

“There are many areas that are notorious for graffiti and the dumping of rubbish, but the council does not do anything to put a stop to it - this doesn't help!”

Colin Bell referred to the town as “one big rubbish dump” while Steven Eastland added: “Zero civic pride left in this town, the council only wants your money, the residents couldn’t care less what it looks like outside their homes, this isn’t the 1980s anymore.”

The recent rise in the town’s fortunes has also led to fears residents will be forgotten about – as deprived areas continue to struggle despite the influx of cash in the district.

Sir Roger’smultimillion-pound Shoreline development on the seafront, where homes range in price from £430,000 to £2.1m, is often described as well out of reach for the average Folkestone person.

In response to the concerns, a FHDC spokesperson said: “The Harbour area is owned by multiple stakeholders – we will look into the issues raised which fall upon council land and do our best to notify the others.

“We are committed to improving the appearance of the whole district, including the Harbour and Stade areas in Folkestone.

“New large capacity bins were put out for the summer season in this area ahead of the Easter weekend.”