SEAFRONT traders are breathing a sigh of relief after the arrival of a much-needed sunny spell has seen a boom in trade this weekend.

Temperatures reached the mid twenties as families flocked to the seafronts of Southend and Canvey to enjoy the good weather.

And for the businesses on the seafront, it has brought a welcome boost after a difficult Easter period.

Martin Richardson, owner of the Happidrome, in Marine Parade, Southend said: “It’s been brilliant this weekend.

“It’s what everyone who works in this sector really needed - we need the sun.

“We had a very good week as well which we put down to people being off or out of work and so were able to come to the seafront with the warm weather.

“So Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were great as well which has been useful.

“It was needed after the atrocious Easter we had.

“The school boards need to look at that because having Easter right at the start of the holiday meant people didn’t really have time to get into holiday mode.

“But yes the sun has been great this weekend. Southend is an award-winning destination and it has everything you need to enjoy yourself. It’s the place to be.

“The police made sure there was no trouble which is always good as well.”

Southend Council took steps to prepare for the welcome influx of day-trippers to the borough’s shores.

Measures were put in place by the council and its partners to help visitors find available parking spaces and extra bins and waste staff were on duty to tackle the increase in litter that often accompanies busy days on the seafront.

The council has recently been taking action to ensure a pleasant welcome for visitors, with volunteers from the Make Southend Sparkle campaign carrying out a “High Street Spruce Up” and foreshore staff refreshing the popular seafront lagoon.

Scott Dolling, Director for Culture, Tourism and Property for Southend Council, said: “This was one of the warmest and sunniest weekends of the year so far and many people took the opportunity to visit our beautiful shores.

“Extra staff were working at our two busiest seafront car parks, Seaways and Fairheads, to help visitors find parking spaces and assist them with paying for parking.

“Our waste contractor, Veolia, also increased its staffing levels over the weekend to deal swiftly with litter and to empty full bins.

“The beach-raker was out in the mornings, extra temporary bins were placed along the central seafront and littering crews hand-picked any litter left on beaches in the late afternoon.

“Ultimately, our aim was to provide a safe and pleasant visitor experience that leaves people wanting to return to our town.”

For the latest visitor information www.visitsouthend.co.uk