An Ayrshire beauty spot has become a drinking hang-out for yobs leading to broken glass and vandalism.
Troon’s Ballast Bank has been left littered with bottles of MD2020, cans of cider and Dragon Soop after becoming a popular attraction for youths to gather.
Local swimmers say they have been terrorised by yobs with some smashing bottles just yards from where they regularly take a dip.
One swimmer, who did not wish to be named, has told how youths have been spotted “out of their face”.
They told how they regularly spend 30 minutes at the patch tidying up before going on their daily dip.
A dog walker has told how they “avoid the Ballast Bank” after noticing a rise in broken glass littered in amongst the rocks.
Ayrshire Live previously told how before how the popular spot was visited by a professional mermaid at the peak of the heatwave in July.
But now the Ballast Bank is attracting vandals who have sprayed graffiti on the sea walls.
Last week beach cleaners filled two carrier bags worth of empty bottles and cans as they vowed to continue to focus on the popular visitor spot.
Friends of Troon Beaches were out on their usual sweep and discovered the mess.
Ayrshire Live understands that council teams are now going to patrol the area after being made aware of the rise of anti-social behaviour and littering.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: "Officers from our community safety team are aware of the issues at Ballast Bank in Troon and patrol the area, they also arranged to have the graffiti removed."
A Friends of Troon Beaches spokesperson added: “Our group’s philosophy isn’t to call out those causing the problem, but to clear up the litter. We will continue to tackle the litter on Troon's beaches."
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