Hordes of people drinking, fighting and openly defecating are making locals' lives a misery and forcing them off the beaches.

Residents say they are reaching breaking point and calling for something to be done so they can reclaim their beloved bays in Thanet.

And with the sunshine expected to return at the weekend, many fear the beach will again be lost to "feral gangs" fighting, getting high on laughing gas and leaving rubbish and human excrement on their seafronts.

Barry Manners, who runs Friends of Botany Bay and Kingsgate, believes there needs to be systematic change in the way the beaches are managed.

"We're one of the most deprived districts and yet we offer a free day out - you can park for free at Botany Bay, bring your picnic and use our beach as a toilet, then head back to London and leave us with the mess and chaos," he said.

"We don't have the infrastructure or facilities to deal with these numbers of people."

But he admits it's not just the sheer size of the crowds descending on the beaches that is the problem.

"The behaviour of some visitors is shocking," he said.

"There are people being abusive and violent, people openly defecating in bushes, streets and pavements and when confronted they just say 'I don't care'."

He says a 75-year-old resident, so disgusted with people relieving themselves in a bush by his Kingsgate house, cleared up the mess himself and was faced with "kilos" of human waste and soiled tissues.

"It's just feral," said Mr Manners.

"People rowing over parking and then being abusive.

"You see people getting drunk and taking those (nitrous oxide) balloons on the beach.

"It's mob mentality and it feels like Botany Bay is being lost to feral gangs."

He says the rubbish left behind is astounding and he and the group litter pick daily, now making it a social event at 5.30pm where they have a drink together afterwards.

"There is no enforcement here - people leave litter, they have barbecues, there is antisocial behaviour," he said.

"Local families are frightened to go to the beach; their child might run over a hot barbecue left in the sand, be hit with a football covered in human faeces or run into an intimidating group."

Mr Manners says rather than catering for families wanting a free day out, the area should be marketed for people wanting to spend money in restaurants, shops and galleries and stay overnight nearby.

"Post Covid there will be an upturn in domestic tourists, which is a positive thing," he said.

"But we need to look at how we, as a deprived coastal area, can cash in on this.

"We need to start monetising visits to make a sustainable future."

On Viking Bay in Broadstairs, residents and business owners are reporting a similar situation.

Just last week, a large group from Medway were ordered off the beach by police.

Andy Webb, who runs Kent Surf School, says he shut early due to the group being abusive when he refused to hire out kayaks to them due to them having been drinking and taking nitrous oxide-filled balloons.

"It's just not worth it - they were swearing and being intimidating - so I shut. I can handle myself but not 30 of them, I'm there on my own.

"They left their bottles in the sand so I gave them bin bags but they didn't use them.

"They swear and they're intimidating - families leave the beach because they don't want to be around that kind of behaviour."

Mr Webb says the problems happen each year and usually last until mid-July when it peters out.

"This is a lovely, friendly beach which is being ruined by some people who have no consideration for others," he said.

"I run a business here so I don't want to run it down, but these groups are just horrible.

"They urinate on the beach huts, they throw stones at glass bottles so they smash in the sand, they leave rubbish everywhere for us to clear up - it's general yob behaviour.

"These aren't kids - they're people in their 20s, drinking and getting high on balloons."

Mr Webb believes there needs to be a stronger police presence and a ban on alcohol on the beach.

"It's nice to be able to have a drink, but these people bring crates down," he said.

"Something needs to be done and an alcohol-free zone would help."

On Bank Holiday Monday, police were called to deal with a brawl on Viking Bay.

And last Tuesday, 40 teenagers from Medway were ordered off the beach and their booze seized.

On the same day, officers in Margate dealt with a fight and two groups of about 10 people who had travelled from North Kent were directed to leave the area.

Private security firms have also now been rolled out on Viking Bay and other beaches in Broadstairs to patrol the sands.

Read more: All the latest news from Thanet