Newquay's ban on makninis has had a good effect on the town as a whole, it wold seem.
The piece of men's "swimwear" (we're being generous there) was popularised by Borat, and while most people wear it "for the banter", the residents of Newquay decided back in 2009 that they'd had enough of it.
More accurately, they were pushing for some action to be taken when they marched through the streets of the town after the deaths of two teenagers, Paddy Higgins and Andrew Curwell, and they wanted the police and local government to make the place safer.
Among the measures implemented was a ban on inappropriate behaviour in public, in a move to help the town shed its image as a great spot for hen and stag parties, part of which involved the banning of the mankini. The town and Cornwall's tourist board made a concerted effort to attract a different type of tourist, and the crime figures have fallen as a result. According to The Guardian, "reports of antisocial behaviour dropped every year from 937 in 2009-10 to 485 in 2012-13. Overall crime in Newquay has also reduced significantly – from 1,823 incidents in 2012-13 down to 1,624 in 2014-15."
Dave Sleeman, the mayor of Newquay, was one of the residents who started the protest action, and has said since that the place is unrecognisable from what it was just a few short years ago: "I remember back in the 2000s you couldn’t walk the streets on a Saturday without seeing someone wearing a mankini or what have you. But now they’re not allowed in Newquay. The police will tell them to go home and get changed if they see them wearing one".
Via The Guardian
