Tobias Ellwood, who previously represented Bournemouth East in Parliament, has launched a scathing attack on the local authority's governance, describing it as "lacklustre" and "divided" with "absolutely no vision".
The former MP expressed frustration over the council's "incompetence" as the seaside town's locals continue to protest against the use of migrant hotels.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Ellwood admitted there is "a lot of truth" in reports of "drugs being openly taken, gangs fighting each other on the beaches and people using the beaches as public urinals".
Mr Ellwood characterised Bournemouth local authority on the matter as suffering from "incompetence" and criticised what he sees as "very, very poor council leadership".
Tobias Ellwood hit out at Bournemouth's 'incompetent' council as police shortages impact community safety
|GETTY / GB NEWS
The former Conservative MP highlighted significant concerns about law enforcement resources in the seaside resort, arguing that government calculations fail to account for the town's fluctuating population.
"The town swells by about 50,000 during the day, more in the evening, and the Home Office numbers don't factor that in when they give out policing allocations," Mr Ellwood explained.
He emphasised that the area lacks sufficient officers to manage the influx of visitors, stating: "We simply don't have enough police force there to deal with all the challenges that we face."
According to Mr Ellwood, this shortage becomes particularly problematic when large crowds descend on the resort, with some visitors engaging in antisocial conduct that damages the town's image.
Bournemouth locals have marched through the city centre in demonstration against migrant hotels and accommodation
| GB NewsThe security vacuum has led to the emergence of unofficial enforcement groups, with Mr Ellwood noting that "individual groups wanting to go around and provide some form of protection or policing" have begun operating in the area.
He acknowledged that whilst such community initiatives serve a purpose, they highlight the fundamental inability of local authorities to maintain order. The former MP stressed that basic regulations, including restrictions on beach barbecues, lack proper monitoring.
"When there's an absence, a void of any form of security whatsoever or recognition that you're not going to get caught or indeed punished," people exploit the situation, Mr Ellwood warned.
Mr Ellwood advocated for establishing an elected mayoral position to transform the area's fortunes, suggesting this could attract "a senior business person, a character, a personality" capable of revitalising the region.
Mr Ellwood told GB News that Bournemouth's council is 'incompetent' amid the growing migrant crisis in the town
|GB NEWS
He identified three key economic sectors that could drive Bournemouth's future prosperity: tourism and hospitality, financial services including JP Morgan's 7,000-employee facility, and the digital and creative industries supported by what he described as "one of the best universities, not just in Britain but in Europe".
However, the former MP criticised the current administration for failing to develop these sectors, noting the council had even eliminated its head of tourism position.
The former MP also expressed particular frustration over the council's decision to scrap this year's Bournemouth Air Festival, which he called the area's "flagship tourism event".
Speaking to GB News, he lamented that "the Red Arrows should be flying over the skies right now, they're not. It's been cancelled by this council."
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