Controversial tourists speak out after copping criticism over messy beach
A family of tourists who left rubbish on a New Zealand beach and abused a local woman have spoken out.
The family has denied claims they behaved poorly after they were filmed being confronted by a woman for littering Takapuna Beach, north of Auckland over the weekend.
Krista Curnow claims they left rubbish at a beachside reserve and she also filmed a fiery confrontation between the family and her.
The NZ Herald identified brothers featured in the video as David and John Johnson and they, along with mother Eileen Doran, partners and children, now claim the fallout from the video has forced them to return to Liverpool, England.
John told the NZ Herald his family members were “respectable” and his grandfather was the “tenth richest man in England”.
He added his nephew, 8, was slapped by another boy and claims the family had been abused with items thrown at them and people calling them “Irish scum”.
This and other confrontations led to them leaving rubbish behind on the beach because they felt threatened and didn’t have time to clean, he added.
While the family claim the outrage caused by the video is the reason for them leaving, it has also been revealed they were handed deportation notices.
Immigration New Zealand assistant general manager Peter Devoy told Yahoo News four individuals were issued notices on Tuesday and were travelling on British passports.
Mr Devoy added a 26-year-old man appeared in Hamilton District Court on Wednesday and was also handed a notice.
“Section 157(5) of the Immigration Act 2009 provides for temporary visa holders to be issued with a DLN (deportation liability notice) on a number of grounds, including matters relating to character,” he said.
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