But will state of beach spoil the fun?

A town’s beach has fallen into a “diabolical” state just days ahead of its highlight of the year.

Community chiefs in Prestwick are demanding urgent action on the sands.

Weeds and rubbish washed in from the tide are strewn along the shore on the eve of the big Prom bash.

There has been a long- running campaign to have council chiefs tackle the problem.

A temporary clean- up took place at the start of the summer but mountains of rubbish have now returned.

Derek Hart, chair of Prestwick North Community Council, admitted: “It’s most disappointing.

“Our beach should be shining like a new shilling, especially on this of all weeks.

“To its credit, the council is trying to fix the source problem of the debris coming from Newton Shore.

“But there is clearly a lot still left in the bay that is being washed ashore.

“Other beaches like Ayr are tended to on a daily basis. Why not ours?

“We need the same prestige treatment as our fellow South Ayrshire towns.”

Retired councillor John Baillie is another town leader to have voiced concerns, labelling the state of the beach “a disgrace”.

Posting on social media, he said: “A blind person could identify the mess on the beach.

“Is this project in the hands of numpties?

“It is doing great damage. “Troon has hundreds of people on the beach each day. Prestwick has a handful who will not return, with real damage done to the local economy and the standing of Prestwick as a place to live.”

A council spokesman said: “Following the removal of rubble from Prestwick amenity beach earlier in the year, we have continued to monitor the issue.

“We recently returned to the amenity beach to clear the main section and we will be back to remove more stone prior to August 3.

“Since 2017 we have spent over £ 54,000 removing around 7500 tonnes of stone and rubble from the beach.

“We will continue to work closely with the local community councils, the Friends of Prestwick Seafront and other community partners to ensure the beach continues to look its best.”

It’s most disappointing. Our beach should be shining like a new shilling, especially on this of all weeks. Derek Hart