A furious argument has broken out in Burnham over whether motorhomes tip out effluent on the seafront after an overnight visit.

It all kicked off when town councillor Miss Louis Parkin said that many motorhome owners used the seafront as a free carpark and left an unpleasant deposit on their departure. Motorhomers responded with anger writing emails to the Weekly News to disagree with the owner of one of Burnham’s favourite tourist businesses.

Theresa was typical when she wrote: “I have a motorhome. I never leave litter. I definitely would not empty my loo on the street. It would not be unhygienic for the street but you wouldn’t be able to clean the container out. I use a campsite or take it home or sometimes use a public loo.”

In an exchange of emails with motor home owner Graham Hadfield who criticised Cllr Parkin’s remarks she hit back by saying: “As someone who has a business on the esplanade at Burnham-on-sea I am well aware of what goes on the as I do approximately 13-14 hours a day in the summer. However believe me in 47 years I have seen many occurrences as I alluded to at the town council meeting. Also if you read the parking meters on the esplanade you will see that motor homes are not supposed to park overnight.”

Mr Hadfield said Miss Parkin should have backed up her allegations with photographic evidence and challenged her assertion that the majority of motorhome owners leave behind a mess.

However speaking to the Weekly News she was unrepentant although adjusted her comments to say it was a minority of motorhomers who offended. She said: “I admit there is a small minority of motorhomers who dump their rubbish on the seafront when they park there overnight, which they are not supposed to do. They ruin it for everyone else.”

Cllr Parkin said the council should not be competition with holiday parks and camp sites that offer spaces for motorhomes to park up overnight. It was wrong for these people to park on the seafront when there were excellent facilities close by.

“They want to do it for nothing,” she said, “why should they park there for free when there fantastic facilities where not only can they park their vehicle but they can do their washing and dispose of their rubbish. They want to do it on the cheap and I don’t think that’s right.”

Do you agree with Cllr Parkin that motorhomers come to Burnham and abuse the resort wanting a cheap holiday – or is it only a minority? Your views to harry.mottram@nqsw.co.uk