Extra police officers are to patrol the Polzeath seafront every night for the rest of July.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the decision would help control the mass invasion by hundreds of public school students who visit the popular resort and its beach to relax and party after their exams.

St Minver Lowlands and St Minver Highlands, the area's two local parish councils, will contribute £5,000 each to pay for the extra police presence.

Local residents, who have become unhappy with the number and behaviour of visiting pupils, welcomed the news.

"They give themselves a bad reputation by behaving badly and being so disrespectful," a local person told BBC Cornwall.

Police said the move would also help to reduce costs by preventing serious incidents, which can cost local authorities thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money.

"If the youths are curtailed in what they're going they don't get drunk and we don't need to call an ambulance for them," Inspector Ian Marshall told BBC Cornwall.

"And they're not having beach parties and setting fire to things, so the fire service isn't called out."