BEACH-GOERS feared for their safety when a fight broke out between the occupants of a temporary camp underneath Bournemouth pier.

One man was hit over the head with a metal barbecue and another with a saucepan during the disturbance on Wednesday night.

A woman leapt over the railings on to the beach below screaming and asking where her drugs were.

And passers-by were forced to retreat from the area as up to 10 people joined the disturbance.

A couple visiting from Chichester told the Daily Echo they were shocked by the incident, which took place between 9.30pm and 10.30pm.

The man, who does not wish to be named, said: “They all seemed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. When we saw a saucepan wrapped round someone’s head we thought we had better get out of the way.

“The following morning there were lots of children there on a school trip and it makes you wonder what these people have left on the beach. The council have done a great job clearing up but their belongings are still there, which could be dangerous.”

An area underneath the pier, on the eastern side, is littered with bags of rubbish, empty beer and cider cans and bottles and barbecues. There are two tents, duvets and blankets.

With around 100,000 visitors expected this weekend, tourists urged the authorities to remove the camp.

Margaret Sinclair from Glasgow said: “We come to Bournemouth every year and we love it here. I won’t let it put me off but I think the council and the police need to do something about it because there are a lot more rough sleepers here than I have ever seen before.”

John Raymond from Essex added: “I think people need to be careful because you never know what they have left behind on the beach. There are hundreds of children here but I know the council makes a really good job of cleaning the beach.”