Cotswolds 'carnage

This bank holiday locals are braced for influx of tourists

- Richard Ashmore

BEAUTIFUL Cotswolds villages are preparing for "carnage" this Easter weekend as coachloads of tourists pour in with some displaying some very unwelcome behaviour.

Cascades of large coaches can cause mayhem when they unload hundreds of people in small villages not designed for mass tourism or heavy traffic.

Some 16 million daytrippers and two million overnight stayers each year are drawn to the stunhoney-colning oured stone buildings of places such as Bourton-onthe-Water, Bibury, and Burford.

Tourism brings in some £1.5billion to the region annually. But less respectful visitors often infuriate residents by traipsing through private gardens, dropping litter and even urinating on their property.

Many tours offer all-in-one-day packages to certain "honeypot" destinations presenting the must-have Instagram photo opportunity.