The mayor of Geroskipou on Thursday complained about overnight gatherings on the municipality’s beach fronts.

The phenomenon involves “delinquent behaviour” and is concerning, Mayor Kyriacos Hadjivasilis told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).

A lot of rubbish is left on the beach, following overnight gatherings and normal rules of hygiene in common areas are not observed the mayor stated.

The groups number 20-30 people at times, who arrive in vans and stay overnight, using the common ablution blocks to do laundry and spreading out their clothing to dry, municipal sanitation department rep, Marios Nikitas, explained to Cyprus Mail.

“The changing rooms and other areas are often not used properly for their intended purpose,” the municipality rep said and people are essentially camping illegally at the beach.

“We are dispatching cleaning and sanitizing crews to start work at the areas at 5.30am, and we have a good collaboration with the police, whom we’ve asked to send patrols,” Nikitas said, “but it is an unpleasant problem which has been going on for about a month.”

The mayor, who also reported needing to repair damages to beach infrastructure, asked for visitors to cooperate with the local authority and to understand that use of the free sanitary services should be respected and not abused.

He also called on the public to comply with the signs designating the areas in which dogs are permitted.

Moreover, the mayor reported complaints from the public that several roads adjacent to the municipal beach are turned into speed racing tracks after 10pm until 1am.

Unfortunately, he noted, although this has also been reported to the police, so far the situation has not been corrected.