ONLY one out of five new beach huts built on Dovercourt seafront is being used.

Residents have branded the structures put up by Tendring Council, in Lower Marine Parade, as a waste of taxpayers’ money.

As well as standing vacant, the £3,000-a-piece huts have been vandalised.

Dovercourt resident Cheryl Thompson, said: “Pierre Oxley, the council’s former leisure portfolio holder, was absolutely determined to have beach huts there and we challenged it.

“Now we have the situation where we have got five beach huts, one of which is taken, four of which are costing Tendring Council taxpayers’ money.

“They are deteriorating, being vandalised and no one is called to account.” She added that money could have been spent on refurbishing Dovercourt boating lake instead.

Betty Holloway, chairman of the town’s Beach Hut Owners’ Association, said: “I cannot see Tendring Council getting rid of them. They are just standing there doing nothing.” Nigel Brown, Tendring Council’s communications manager, said the council has planning permission for 113 new beach huts at the site.

He said: “So far we have put five huts in place and one of those has been taken up. It is slightly disappointing and the take-up has not been what we expected. It is difficult to say why, but certainly the recession may have a part to play.”

Mr Brown added the council would monitor the situation and put up more huts if the demand arose.