EXCLUSIVEBritain's second home ghost towns FIGHT BACK: Locals told to secretly REPORT rich neighbours greedily buying up houses as seaside villages wage war on out-of-towners

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Villagers in seaside ports around the country have been encouraged to fight back against rich out-of-towners buying second homes, MailOnline can reveal.

The scourge of second home ownership has seen once-thriving seaside villages turned into ghost towns that had 'lost their soul and identity' as outsiders only stay in their second homes for a few weeks each year, locals said.

From April 1, more than 150 councils across the country will increase the tax on second homes to 100 per cent - meaning bills could rise as much as £10,000 for the year.

This week, MailOnline visited villages around the country where councils are urging locals to report their wealthy neighbours if they suspect them of being second home owners.

From the 'second home capital' of Mousehole, Cornwall, to the north Wales beach resort of Rhosneigr, locals are preparing to dob in any neighbours avoiding council tax increases that could cost them thousands.

Yet while most locals born and bred in the seaside villages welcomed the government-approved council tax increase for second homes, many said the measures were not going far enough.

Neil Brockman, 61, was born in Mousehole and lived there for 45 years. Now he has to live outside of Mousehole because it's just too expensive.

He told MailOnline: 'I'm fiercely proud of the fact I'm a Mousehole man. Second homers will kill the village. We are losing our identity.

The Cornish village of Mousehole (pictured) is thought to be the second home capital of the UK

In summer the harbour (pictured from above) is full of ships. Yet at the moment, there are just two boats in the sea

Neil Brockman, 61, (pictured) was born in Mousehole and lived there for 45 years. Now he has to live outside of Mousehole because it's just too expensive.

'I think the tax will help. It will put people off. I would triple it myself. 

'We need local housing for local people. A lot of people moved away. You had to move away for a job.

'I would move back here if I could but I would have to win the lottery.'

These days, Neil lives in Penzance. Yet despite no longer living in the village, Neil and his family will always be tied in tragedy to the village.

On December 19, 1981, just days before Christmas, Neil's father was one of eight crew from the Penlee lifeboat the Solomon Browne who lost their lives while battling to save a stranded ship in hurricane-force winds.

Neil was 17 at the time and had wanted to go with his father, but the RNLI coxswain at the time refused to take two men from the same family.

The attempted rescue was an audacious act of seamanship in extreme conditions that nearly succeeded in saving those in peril.

It is remembered as one of the greatest tragedies in the 201-year history of the RNLI and is woven into the history of the village.

The majority of properties in the tiny village are second homes that lie empty all year except for a few weeks in summer

Affordable shops have disappeared from the village in recent years. In the deli on the harbour, it costs £10 to eat a pasty indoors

This delicatessen overlooking the harbour sells pasties for a whopping £10 each

Pictured: The site of the Lobster Pot restaurant with its terrace overlooking the harbour that is now a home 

Pictured: A gift shop in place of where Mousehole's old post office used to be

Cornwall Council is raising council tax on second homes to 100 per cent from April 1, 2025

Built on a hill by the sea, Mousehole's cottages have a lovely view of the ocean and the once-bustling fishing harbour below

Neil, who spent 35 years with the RNLI even after the disaster and now takes tourists on boat trips, added: 'I'm proud of what they did.'

And while nothing will compare to the pain Mousehole villagers feel for the 16 lives lost that day, including eight from the stricken Union Star ship, Neil feels passionately that more needs to be done to protect the place he grew up from out-of-towners.

His friend, former RNLI press officer and ex-policewoman Elaine Bawden, 66, said: 'The village has changed dramatically since we grew up. We had every shop you could think of. We didn't have to leave the village that much.'

Mousehole used to be a bubbly fishing village with almost everything locals needed in shops dotted around its picturesque Cornish streets. 

Elaine told MailOnline that over the last few years, the village's post office and shops had been replaced by gift stores and expensive delicatessens aimed at flogging traditional Cornish products to tourists.

Pictured: Neil Brockman as a teenager while he was in the RNLI. He protected the waters off Mousehole for 35 years

Neil pictured with his father Nigel Brockman (left) just  two days before the tragedy in 1981

The 47ft Solomon Browne lifeboat (pictured) rescued more than 90 people in its 21 years on the water

Shockingly, in the deli looking out over the harbour, eating a pasty while looking out at the view would set you back a whopping £10.

Now locals have to drive to neighbouring villages to buy household staples. 

The heritage walk guide added: 'The post office is gone. The newsagents is gone. 

'Second homers are the ones who should be paying extra. It's peanuts to them. 

'If you have money to buy a house in Mousehole, you have money to pay extra council tax. 

'The village is a bit empty now. Youngsters no longer live here.

'We can't survive without tourists but there needs to be a balance. 

'If there were places for people to rent, then people could come with their children.

'But people who buy those houses won't mind that [the second home council tax]. They have the money.'

The historic village is a maze of picturesque streets dotted with gorgeous cottages overlooking the sea

When MailOnline visited the village, locals said second homes had turned it into a ghost town

Although the streets are said to bustle in summer, this week the roads were largely deserted

Stay-at-home dad Milo Perrin, 54, lives on a row of ten terraced houses in Mousehole.

However, he only has two neighbours. The rest are empty, except in summer when second home owners come down in their droves for a week or two of sea air.

He said: 'Mousehole is empty of people whose families come from here. Very few of the community were born and bred in Mousehole.

'Most of the community are incomers, but at least they live here. 

'The village is left empty. People only come to their homes once or twice a year. In a way I would prefer Airbnbs. It's the choice between the Devil and a hard place.

'With a BnB at least they are here spending money.

'People are trying to put their second homes up for sale but we can't afford it anyway. 

Elaine Bawden, 66, (pictured) lived in the famous Mousehole Cat house, whose interior was used to inspire illustrations in the famous children's book of the same name

Stay-at-home dad Milo Perrin, 54, (pictured) lives on a row of ten terraced houses in Mousehole. However, the majority of those homes are empty

The stunning beauty of the town means it has become one of the most popular places to buy a second home in Britain

Fisherman Matthew Underwood, 46, (pictured) told MailOnline the Cornish housing market was 'unsustainable'.

Matthew said: 'They have been turning our home into a holiday village. We are all dying off. They are killing us'

Pictured: Robert George and Matthew Underwood on their fishing boat the Steph of Ladram, a beam trawler that mainly catches  plaice, sole and other similar groundfish

Cliffjumper Lee (pictured) said: 'In Mousehole there's loads of second homes. It's empty. It's s***'

A solitary boat floats in Mousehole's harbour in the March sunshine. Despite the lovely weather, few of the homes were occupied

'It's not something us locals can buy off a second home owner.

'It might lead to even richer people buying the house.

'What I would like to see is that they keep their second home but put it up for a long term rent.'

He added: 'Imagine this place even 30 years ago. The soul of it is gone and it will never come back.

'We need to go much further. Lockdown was lovely. Nobody here, beautiful weather, we just had the place to ourselves.

'Our biggest concern wasn't catching Covid, we were just keeping an eye out for second homers coming down. 

'We were kind of like detectives. We caught one or two.

'But we are powerless. It's the power of money.'

 Now locals may become 'detectives' once more, again rooting out second home owners.

Explaining how locals could report their rich neighbours, a Cornwall Council spokesman said: 'The best thing to do is to use the Contact Us Form. They won't need an account number but will need to tell us who they are and the address of the property they believe is a second home. They can log it under the ''I want to enquire about something else'' option as they won't need to provide a date of change.

'The council will be doing further checks on properties over the coming months to pick these properties out. They may be registered as a holiday let, however the Valuation Office Agency carries out the checks on these and the owners will need to provide evidence to them or will lose their status.'

Mousehole's streets were empty of people when MailOnline visited the area

Wendy Shepherd, 66, often comes from Sidmouth, Devon, to Mousehole with her husband Gordon, 68, to relax

The village of Mousehole is known as one of the prettiest along the Cornish coast

Wendy Shepherd, 66, often comes from Sidmouth, Devon, to Mousehole with her husband Gordon, 68, to relax.

Yet she too was disgusted by the loss of the post office and other essential shops.

She said: 'I think it's terrible. It used to be a post office. Now it's just a gift shop. 

'These shops are for tourists. The food is not for locals.' 

Her husband added: 'If you can afford a second home, you should be paying the tax. 'The youngsters can't afford the properties. Our son is living with us because he can't buy a house.'

Their friend used to own a share in the famed Mousehole restaurant the Lobster Pot. That too has disappeared from the town, with a fancy home in its place.

A few metres along, down at the edge of the harbour, coasteering cliff jumper Lee was putting the final layers of varnish on a Mousehole boat ahead of them being put back in the water this weekend when MailOnline spoke to him.

The 40-year-old said: 'In Mousehole there's loads of second homes. It's empty. It's s***.'

The village boasts pretty streets of traditional Cornish cottages but even this has not kept second home owners in the area beyond a few weeks in summer

The village of Mousehole, in Cornwall, is thought to be the oldest port in England

Many locals are hoping the new council tax will reinvigorate their lovely village

The streets were clean and had obviously been looked after but there were few people to walk them

Pictured: The quiet streets of Mousehole overlooking the sea in mid-March this year

However, he too was suspicious about whether the council tax rise would actually affect outsiders buying up homes and leaving them empty during the majority of the year.

'In a world of money, [the council tax rise] might be good on paper,' he said. 'No one wants to see an empty place.'

Another local, 94, who married a woman from Mousehole and has lived there for decades, said:  'The village has changed. We have all these different people coming here. 

'Millionaires come here, buy a house, knock it down and money can be no object.

'There's only 30 or 40 local people living here. When they pass away, who's going to be here?'

The next village along from Mousehole is Newlyn, the largest fishing port in England.

There, 46-year-old fisherman Matthew Underwood told MailOnline the Cornish housing market was 'unsustainable'. 

He said: 'Stop giving us London prices. You should only buy if you work here. 

'There should be a cap put on the value of the properties. 

'They have been turning our home into a holiday village. We are all dying off. They are killing us.'

His friend and fellow fisherman Robert George added: 'Young Cornish people just can't get their foot on the ladder.'

Sadly, the effects of second homes are not unique to Cornwall.

The Welsh seaside resort of Rhosneigr has become a ghost town because of the number of second homes there

Cora Clearly, 55, 9pictured) said: 'Local Welsh people have been priced out but this has been the case for a long time now'

Just like Mousehole, the streets were empty when MailOnline visited this week

More than 200 miles north, the Anglesey beach resort of Rhosneigr is facing similar issues.

In winter, hundreds of homes lie empty, turning the stunning village into a 'ghost town'.

A staggering 70 per cent of houses there are thought to be second homes that lie empty for most of the year.

The local Gwynedd Council is one of many in Wales that have hiked council tax in a clampdown on second homes ownership which have forced out Welsh natives.

From April 1, certain second homes will be taxed a whopping 150 per cent. 

It has also laid out a way locals can report their rich second home owner neighbours.

A Gwynedd Council spokeswoman said: 'Any concerns or complaints regarding breach of planning regulations including the use of houses as second homes and holiday accommodation can be reported via the Cyngor Gwynedd website.'

Even so, the council tax rise has been met with scepticism among local residents and workers.

Shop worker Emma Roberts, 52, said: 'This place is a ghost town in the winter and is really quiet outside holiday times.

'It's very sad as the community has been affected especially for local Welsh people.

'I can't afford to live here and I live in another village nearby. Second home owners have forced the prices up.

'Locals have been priced out but it's been going on for a long time.

'The council tax rise would be good if it meant for houses for Welsh people but it's not going to happen.

'We can't afford to buy here anyway. I'm not sure the council tax rise for second home owners is going to work.

'My council tax has risen too - I'm not really worried I can't afford it. Wages are lower in rural areas like here.'

Pregnant mother-of-two Leanne Murphy, 36, cleans holiday homes in the village.

She said: 'I'd love for there to be more homes for local Welsh people but I don't think it's going to happen.

'It is a bit of a ghost town in the off season but we rely on tourists here so I don't want to see them forced out.

'I grew up here but now live in a nearby village which is fine.

'I know there are some Welsh people who don't like the English and think houses should be for the Welsh.

'But they are a minority. I know some homeowners are selling up but I think they will just be bought by other wealthy people.'

Mother-of-two Sian Jones, 43, said: 'So many second homes in one place shouldn't be allowed.

'This place doesn't feel Welsh anymore. There should be more affordable homes for Welsh people.

'But this place has been taken over by rich people from London and we can't compete with how much they can pay for a house.

'I welcome higher taxes for second homes but I don't think it will change anything.'

Cora Clearly, 55, has owned Scarlett's fish and chips shop for 11 years and lives in the village.

The mother-of-two, who is from Ireland, said: 'Some second home owners are selling up as they are worried about the cost of council tax.

'We rely on builders and workmen for our trade out of season as that is when people have work done on their houses.

'But less are being employed as some people can't afford to do work on their houses which is worrying.

'The council tax rise won't do what it is supposed to do.

'Local Welsh people have been priced out but this has been the case for a long time now.

'Welsh people won't be able to buy houses here now – that boat has sailed now.

'It is just too expensive for local people here now – a lot live in villages nearby.

'The school is busy with children – a lot of them travel in from nearby villages. All my employees are local.'

Rhosneigr is famed as a watersports hotspot and is popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers.

It is famous for its kitesurfing and windsurfing but the beach was almost completely empty this week

A large number of homes are owned by out=of-towners and lie empty for most of the year

Locals hope more council tax on second homes will act as a deterrent to other outsiders 

Shop worker Emma Roberts , 52, (pictured) said: 'This place is a ghost town in the winter and is really quiet outside holiday times'

Conor Fagan, 24, (pictured) the owner of Funsports surf shop, said: 'It's a great place to live and work but I am worried the council tax could be a death knell for the place'

Many of the homes look out over the beautiful seaside and the rolling hills of Wales

Holidaymakers also enjoy the resort's bars and restaurants while many retired English people have also bought homes to live full-time in Wales.

Prince William and Kate were visitors when they lived on the island before they were engaged.

Although most locals in Wales were in favour of driving second home owners away, one claimed it could  be a 'death knell' if ridding the village of second homes inadvertently drives away tourists.

Conor Fagan, 24, the owner of Funsports surf shop, said: 'It's a great place to live and work but I am worried the council tax could be a death knell for the place.

'It's a bad thing as no locals can afford to buy here but it's been like that for a long time.

'Rhosneigr was a bit of a dive at one time and then the tourist money came. You can't turn the clock back.

'The council tax policy is just to appease Welsh nationalists who want houses for local people. But it won't happen here.'

Whether or not the council tax coming in from April 1 will slow down or reverse the flood of second homers turning seaside villages into ghost town remains to be seen. 

But what is for sure is that while there are Britons fighting for their local identity, villages like Mousehole and Rhosneigr still have a chance of returning to their glory days.